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With the number of obese people on the rise, the demand for weight loss and diabetes drugs has also gone up in India.

- ANNA JOSE @ Kochi

With the number of obese people on the rise, the demand for weight loss and diabetes drugs has also gone up in India. Doctors say the rise in consumption of these drugs is proportionate to the rise in the number of obese people. Though these drugs are considered safe in general, doctors advise people to err on the side of caution when it comes to consuming them as they have side effects too. "Better take them after consulting a trained expert or with proper medical guidance," they say. The number of people who consume such drugs is higher in developed countries, including the US and the UK.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, India report, released recently, has shown that 19% of women aged 15-49 are thin, 24% are obese, and 57% have a BMI (body mass index) in the normal range.

Dr Jothydev Kesavadev, a research diabetologist in Kerala, said there is a steep increase in the number of people consuming these drugs. "Not just women, men also take the medicine. The rise in consumption is proportionate to the rise in the number of obese people," he said.