Of the estimated 710 million women in the country, around 220 million are now obese, reveals the recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 report. That means nearly one in three women is obese.

It is turning into a public health challenge.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava states in the report that while India has witnessed notable progress over the past five years in reducing child marriage, improving immunisation coverage, and enhancing women’s education, conditions such as obesity, diabetes, Caesarean deliveries, and hypertension are emerging as new public health crises.

The data was collected from 679,238 households, 716,397 women, and 100,977 men across 715 districts, according to Dewaram A. Nagdeve, Director of International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), the nodal agency for the survey.

The survey was completed with support from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and various technical and administrative committees.

Redesigning Public Health Programmes

The rise in obesity among women comes even as undernutrition is still prevalent, though slowing down.

The NFHS data shows that the percentage of underweight women has come down from 18.7% to 15% now. Undernutrition occurs when the body does not receive enough calories, protein, vitamins, or minerals needed for healthy growth and functioning.

Obesity has, however, created a new health burden.

The survey findings thus suggest that policymakers must now pay attention to junk food regulation, nutrition education in schools, fitness campaigns for women, urban health policies, and diabetes and obesity screening programmes.

According to the NFHS report, 30.7% of women aged 15–49 are either overweight or obese, up from 24.0% in the previous survey.

Based on India’s projected female population of 710 million in 2026, this translates to approximately 220 million women living with excess weight. The figure exceeds the estimated obese male population of 207 million.

The survey also shows that obesity among urban women stands at 48.8%, compared to 25.5% among rural women. It indicates that urban lifestyles and fast-food consumption are major contributing factors.

The survey also reveals that 17.7% of women have high blood sugar levels, while 19.4% suffer from high blood pressure.

To address obesity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens through the “Mann Ki Baat” radio programme last year to reduce edible oil consumption and adopt healthier lifestyles.

The Silver Lining 

As far as women are concerned, one of the most positive findings of the report is their advancement in the digital sphere. Approximately 459.4 million women now use the internet – its usage having increased from 33.3% to 64.3% in just two years.

The ownership of bank accounts has also risen from 78.6% to 89%, the survey found.

Health Secretary Srivastava stated in the report that the state-wise fact sheets provide a valuable health database covering all states and Union Territories of India. Over the years, NFHS has expanded its scope and coverage to meet the data needs of policymakers, researchers, and users in the fields of population and health.

Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director in the Health Department, said the data would assist governments and institutions in formulating policies and programmes.

The findings provide valuable insights for assessing the utilisation of services offered through government interventions and have historically played a critical role in designing programmes and interventions to address areas identified as underperforming.