PM flags rising obesity, stresses on dietary cuts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stressed the need to fight obesity, calling it the root cause of many diseases, and cited a report which claimed that nearly 440 million people in India may be obese by 2050.

- HT Correspondent

AHMEDABAD:

Speaking at a rally in Silvassa after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for development projects worth ₹2,580 crore in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, the prime minister urged people to fight the chronic health condition characterised by excessive body fat by reducing edible oil consumption by 10% and doing regular physical exercises.

"Diseases linked to our lifestyle are posing a huge risk to our health today. Obesity is one of them because it is the root cause of many diseases. According to a recent report, nearly 44 crore (440) people in India may be obese by 2050. This figure is huge and it is equally scary," Modi emphasised, referring to The Lancet report that termed India's increasing obesity trend "dangerous".

If the report findings turn out to be true, the PM said, one in every three people in the country may be suffering from obesity by 2050.