Why Childhood Obesity Is Increasing In India: A new report released on the occasion of World Obesity Day (4 March 2026) has expressed serious concern about the health of children in India. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2026 released by the World Obesity Federation, India has now reached second place in the world in terms of the number of obese and overweight children. Only China is ahead of India in this list. The most worrying thing is that the rate of childhood obesity in India is increasing at an average rate of about 5 percent every year, which is considered to be one of the fastest growing rates in the world.

What has come out in the report?

According to the report, by 2025, about 4.13 crore children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years in India will fall into the category of overweight or obese. These include about 1.49 crore children aged 5 to 9 years and 2.64 crore adolescents aged 10 to 19 years. These figures show that the global target set to prevent obesity has not been achieved by 2025 and now controlling it by 2030 is also becoming a challenge.

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Why is India’s situation worrying?

According to Johanna Rolston, CEO of the World Obesity Federation, India is one of the countries where obesity in children is increasing the fastest and every year it is increasing by about 5 percent. He says that this situation is not just a coincidence, but is the result of an environment where children do not get opportunities for healthy food and adequate physical activity. Due to its large population, India ranks second in the world, while it ranks first in WHO’s South-East Asia region. It has been estimated in the report that if the same pace continues, the cases of many metabolic diseases among the youth may increase rapidly by 2040. For example, cases of fatty liver disease may increase from 8.39 million to approximately 11.88 million. Apart from this, risks like high triglyceride, hypertension and hyperglycemia are also likely to increase rapidly in children.

Why are cases increasing?

In the report of the World Obesity Federation, many reasons behind obesity have been mentioned which can be prevented. The biggest reason is lack of physical activity among children and teenagers. According to statistics, about 74 percent of teenagers aged 11 to 17 years are not able to do necessary physical activities every day. Apart from this, increasing consumption of junk food and sweet beverages, limited availability of balanced food in schools and lack of proper nutrition in early life are also increasing this problem.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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