Ahmedabad: Four years ago, one in five Gujarati adults was overweight. Today, that figure has risen to approximately one in three. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) for 2023-24 reveals one of the fastest recorded spikes in adult obesity, with associated health consequences such as elevated blood sugar and blood pressure already evident in the data.
Obesity Rates Climb Sharply
The obesity numbers are the headline finding of the survey. Among women, the share of those who are overweight or obese increased from 22.7% to 32.1% between the last two survey rounds. For men, the trend is almost identical, rising from 20.0% to 29.9%. This represents a jump of nearly ten percentage points in just four years, a pace that health planners describe as a metabolic transition arriving far faster than public health systems can absorb. For comparison, Meghalaya records female obesity at just 13.8%.
Underweight Rates Decline
While obesity has risen, the share of underweight women in Gujarat fell from 25.2% to 23.6%, indicating a shift in nutritional status across the population.
Gateway to Chronic Conditions
Excess weight is a gateway condition that, if sustained, erodes the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and maintain healthy blood pressure. Both conditions have worsened measurably in Gujarat. High blood sugar, including those managing it through daily medication, now affects 18.6% of men, up from 16.9%. Among women, the condition rose more slowly, affecting 16.4% compared to 15.8% earlier. For perspective, Ladakh reports high sugar levels in just 6.7% of women.
Hypertension on the Rise
Blood pressure trends mirror the obesity data. Hypertension now affects 22.3% of Gujarati men, up from 20.3% four years ago. Women's rates, at 20.9%, have held relatively steady but remain high. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh posts female hypertension of just 12.1%, among the lowest in the country.
Inputs from Shinjini Sen.
