New Delhi, Dec 26 || From changing the definition to the rise of GLP-1 medications, and the government’s several initiatives, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call, obesity became the focus of healthcare in India in 2025.
The anti-obesity drive, especially the generic drugs, will continue to remain a key focus in 2026.
Traditionally, Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to define obesity, but after 15 long years, India revamped its obesity guidelines in 2025 by lowering the threshold for obesity to 25 kg/m² (down from the international 30 kg/m²), with "overweight" defined between 23.0 and 24.9 kg/m².
The new approach focused on abdominal obesity and comorbid diseases, rather than just BMI. With this, the clinical focus shifted from BMI to waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio (W-HtR) to better identify abdominal fat, which is more prevalent in the "thin-fat Indian" phenotype.
According to the National Family Health Survey (2019–21), nearly a quarter of Indian women and men are overweight or obese. There is also a rising tide of childhood obesity, with about 5 per cent of school-going children being obese.