India’s Obesity Bill Hits Staggering $28.9 Billion Annually, Says Report

New Delhi: Obesity and related chronic diseases account for a growing share of India's health burden, costing the economy an estimated $28.9 billion annually, said a report by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).

The report titled 'Building on Success to Secure India's Future Health' said that with nearly one in four Indian adults now obese and rising childhood obesity rates, without action, this could become one of the defining health and economic challenges in the coming decades.

Further, the report asserted that India has the foundations to lead globally on prevention. With strong digital infrastructure, a growing network of primary care centres, and world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, the country can move faster than others to build a prevention-first health system.

By creating a distinct Indian prevention model, India can avert millions of preventable illnesses, boost productivity, and extend healthy life expectancy, the report noted.

The report also called for four key actions to tackle the menace. These include strengthening food environment regulation to reduce the consumption of high-fat, sugar, and salt products. It suggested scaling digital risk identification through platforms such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and e-Sanjeevani and incentivising healthy living using digital rewards linked to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

It also suggested planning for affordable anti-obesity medicines as India's pharmaceutical industry prepares for the rollout of generics.