Parliament Question: Rising prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents in the country

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE RAJYASABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1251 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH FEBRUARY,2026 RISING PREVALENCEOFOBESITYAMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN THE COUNTRY 1251. SMT.SUDHAMURTY: Willthe Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a) whether Government has examined the factors contributing to the rising prevalence ofoverweight and obesity among children and adolescents, as indicated by the NationalFamily Health Survey (NFHS-5), despite ongoing nutrition programmes and initiatives such as school mealsandnutritioneducation; and (b) whether the Ministry proposes targeted interventions to address contributing factorssuch as reduced physical activity, increased screen time, changing dietary patterns and lifestyle behaviours, through age-appropriate, evidence-basedstrategiesandif so, thedetailsthereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) & (b) As per the National Family Health Survey(NFHS)-5 (2019-21), overall, 24% of Indian women and 23% of Indian men are overweight or obese. 3.4% of children under 5 years are overweight (weight-for-height). As per Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Non- Communicable Diseases Monitoring Survey (2017-18), the prevalence of obesity among adults (18-69 years) is6.2%. Unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles and environmental factors are key contributors to the rising prevalence of obesity. The increasing consumption of processed foods, reducedphysical activity, and lifestyle changes have further intensified this growing incidence, affecting both urban and rural populations. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements Reproductive, Maternal, New born, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National Health Mission (NHM), which includes interventions to address nutrition among childrenincludingobesity across the country,asplaced below: i Eat Right Movement launched by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) aims to engage and enable citizens including children to improve their health and wellbeing byeating healthy and nutritious foods and creates public awareness that regular and excessive consumption of foods highinsalt, sugar andfat leads toobesity. ii The Government of India focuses on health promotion and awareness generation through countrywide movements like ‘Fit India Movement’ where people are encouraged to remain healthyandfit. iii. The following activities for healthy living including physical activities are also promoted through the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD):  Promotion of wellness activities and targeted communications at the community level are undertaken under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care through Ayushman Aarogya Mandir (AAM).  Yoga related activities are carried out by the Ministry of AYUSH.  Financial support for awareness generation activities (IEC) through print, electronic and social media under NP-NCD.  Health Melas are organized at each AAM to generate awareness about healthy lifestyles.  Under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), the Government implements preventive, promotive and curative interventions to improve the health and well-being ofadolescents in the age group of 10–19years.  Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), a national child health screening programme is implemented for early detection and free treatment of health conditions among children from birth to18 years.