India and Obesity: SMSRC Insights Report reveals the weight of opportunity

India stands at an inflexion point in its battle with obesity. For many years, obesity remained peripheral to mainstream clinical focus, overshadowed by diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory illness.

- TBG NETWORK

New real-world evidence from the latest “SMSRC Insights” Report (a data-based research study), based on aggregated and de-identified data on prescription behaviour from nearly 10,700 OPD-practising physicians across Tier 1 to Tier 3 cities, shows that this situation is changing rapidly.

Obesity is positioning itself as one of the most significant chronic diseases of the next decade. It is redefining patient demographics, influencing how physicians prescribe, and altering the trajectory of therapeutic markets across India. It now sits at the centre of the country’s chronic disease landscape, necessitating healthcare professionals to recognise the scale of this shift.

Leading published studies on prevalence estimated that approximately 7.4 crore Indians live with obesity, which represents approximately 5% of the population. This burden is projected to rise to 18.5 crore over the next 15 years, bringing the national prevalence to 11.5%. With obesity growing at 15% annually, the consequences for outpatient care will be substantial. However, current treatment levels do not reflect this reality.