National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) reports rise in obesity and high blood sugar levels

Key facts

• The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) indicates a sharp increase in obesity and high blood sugar levels among adults in India.
• The prevalence of being overweight or obese rose to 30.7% for women aged 15-49 years (up from 24% in NFHS-5) and 27.3% for men (up from 22.9% in NFHS-5).
• The proportion of adults with high blood sugar levels or taking diabetes medication increased to 17.8% for women (from 13.5%) and 20.9% for men (from 15.6%).
• The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among women was recorded in Puducherry (51.3%), Lakshadweep (50.1%), Andhra (47.9%), Sikkim (47.5%), and Kerala (46.7%).
• The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among men was recorded in Andaman and Nicobar (46.1%), Puducherry (45.9%), Goa (43.6%), Sikkim (42.6%), and Andhra (41.5%).
• The highest prevalence of high blood sugar or diabetes medication among women was found in Kerala (28.9%), Goa (27.5%), Puducherry (26.7%), Tamil Nadu (25.2%), and Bengal (22.7%).
• The highest prevalence of high blood sugar among men was found in Goa (32.1%), Kerala (31.9%), Puducherry (28.8%), Bengal (26.8%), and Tamil Nadu (26.7%).