While the rise in the number of people with nutritional deficiencies and anaemia in the State is a cause for concern, there is another worrying trend: the sharp rise in obesity and overweight levels in the last four years, according to data provided by the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS).
This is applicable to women, men, and children as well. The survey showed that 30.1% of women were categorised as either overweight or obese. In NFHS 4 (2015-2016), 23.3% of women fell under the same categories.
The percentage of men who are overweight or obese stands at 30.9% in NFHS 5. Data from NFHS 4 showed that 22.1% of men were classified as obese or overweight.
Manjari Chandra, a functional nutritionist who is also a member of the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA), said that the rise in obesity levels is a health concern as it can be predisposition to several cardio-metabolic diseases such as hypertension and heart diseases. “Many people in States like Karnataka have moved to a sedentary lifestyle, but still have a diet that is carbohydrate rich. There is a mismatch between the work they do and the nutrition that they consume,” she said. The children under the age group of five years who are overweight according to NFHS 5 stands at 3.2 %, an increase compared to NFHS 4 (2.6%).
On a positive note, the percentage of women and men whose body mass index is below normal has declined compared to the previous survey.
According to the existing data, women whose body mass index is below normal stands at 17.2%, while men whose body mass index stands at 14.3%.
