“Obesity is not a cosmetic issue. It is a clinical, systemic concern that is driving a surge in diseases like fatty liver, diabetes, gastrointestinal complications, and heart disease. In my practice, I see its consequences every day. To address this, we must move beyond awareness campaigns and commit to deep-rooted preventive reforms across schools, offices, hospitals, and even the medical curriculum,” Dr Rajesh Upadhyay, director and head of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Max Super Speciality Hospital said
A study published in The Lancet projects that nearly one-third of Indians or approximately 449 million people could be obese by 2050.
This includes an estimated 218 million men and 231 million women.
The rising tide of obesity is closely linked to a surge in chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, fatty liver, hormonal disorders, infertility, and even certain cancers, experts said.
India already holds the global record for the highest number of people living with diabetes, estimated at over 101 million. Increasingly, these conditions are being diagnosed at younger ages, they said.
An alarming rise in non-communicable diseases among individuals in their 20s and 30s, the most productive age group, a trend that is largely being driven by excess body weight, said Dr Neeraj Nischal, additional professor in the Department of Medicine at AIIMS.
“The obesity epidemic is quietly reshaping India’s disease profile and, unless confronted with urgency, will place an unmanageable burden on the country’s healthcare infrastructure and economic productivity,” he said.
Dr Rajesh Upadhyay, director and head of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi, and past president and dean of Association of Physicians of India, said that obesity is no longer a matter of personal choice or appearance.
It has become one of the most influential medical risk factors in the country today, he said.
“Obesity is not a cosmetic issue. It is a clinical, systemic concern that is driving a surge in diseases like fatty liver, diabetes, gastrointestinal complications, and heart disease. In my practice, I see its consequences every day. To address this, we must move beyond awareness campaigns and commit to deep-rooted preventive reforms across schools, offices, hospitals, and even the medical curriculum,” he said.
Echoing this concern, Dr Mohsin Wali, senior consultant of Internal Medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, noted that the crisis is growing quietly but with devastating consequences.
“This is India’s silent tsunami. The burden of obesity is not always visible on the surface, but its impact is evident in hospital admissions, in the rise of chronic illnesses, and in the younger age of onset for lifestyle diseases. We must treat this as a National emergency. Prevention must begin at the institutional level - what we serve in school and hospital canteens, what we teach young doctors, and how we screen for risk - all must change,” he said.
Health experts are urging immediate and coordinated action to treat obesity as a systemic public health challenge.
They called for greater accountability in public institutions, widespread access to preventive screenings, nutritional reform in institutional food environments, and a fundamental shift in how India approaches medical education and policy.
The rising prevalence of obesity is not confined to urban populations or high-income groups. It is increasingly visible in rural areas, among adolescents, and across various regions of the country. If no action is taken, experts cautioned that India could soon become the epicentre of a global obesity and non-communicable disease crisis.
The long-term consequences could include a shorter lifespan for future generations, significant loss of workforce productivity, and unsustainable pressure on the nation’s health system.