New Delhi, Jan 29 (.) India is among the world’s fastest-growing markets for ultra-processed foods (UPFs), a trend the Economic Survey has linked to the rising burden of lifestyle diseases driven by unhealthy diets and changing lifestyles.
“UPFs are displacing long-established dietary patterns, worsening diet quality, and are associated with an increased risk of multiple chronic diseases,” the Survey noted.
Retail sales of ultra-processed foods in India surged nearly 40-fold, from USD 0.9 billion in 2006 to about USD 38 billion in 2019, the Survey said, citing a 2023 report by the World Health Organisation. Over the same period, obesity levels almost doubled among both men and women.
The prevalence of obesity among women rose from 13 per cent in 2006 to 24 per cent in 2019, while the proportion of obese men increased from 9 per cent to 22.9 per cent, it added.
The Survey also flagged worrying trends among children, noting that the prevalence of excess weight among those under five years of age increased from 2.1 per cent in 2015-16 to 3.4 per cent in 2019-21. According to estimates cited in the report, more than 3.3 crore children in India were obese in 2020, a number is projected to rise to 8.3 crore by 2035.
Recognising obesity as a critical public health concern across the life cycle, from infancy through adolescence to adulthood, the Survey called for curbing the accessibility of unhealthy food choices. It stressed the need to focus on food quality standards, the nutritional value and bioavailability of supplements, and systematic tracking of health outcomes.
The report further emphasised the role of social media in spreading awareness about the importance of nutrition in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dietary reforms, it said, should be treated as a public health priority and given a central place in NCD prevention strategies, alongside integration with AYUSH systems for more effective disease management.
. MBJ .