NEW DELHI: Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai have emerged as hotspots for abdominal obesity in both men and women due to long hours in sedentary jobs, reliance on motorised transport and easy access to packaged foods, which have created environments that promote weight gain, said a new nationwide study.
Published in Nature-Scientific Reports, the study found that abdominal obesity is rising across the country, but not evenly. Instead, it follows a striking pattern shaped by geography and gender.
Based on data from over seven lakh people across 707 districts as per the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-2021), the study also highlighted that more than half of women aged 15-49 (56.6%) and nearly half of men aged 15-54 (48.9%) in India have abdominal obesity, indicating an alarming trend with far reaching implications as non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions are rising.
Led by the researchers from Health Systems Transformation Platform, New Delhi, the study uncovered striking geographic disparities. While northern states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, J&K and Delhi have a high prevalence of abdominal obesity among both men and women, the picture is totally different in central India.
In districts across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra, relatively lower levels of abdominal obesity are reported.But this advantage may not last, the study said, adding that as towns expand and lifestyles change, these areas could soon follow the same path as the north.
The reason for abdominal weight among both men and women in northern states is basically because diets are increasingly rich in fats and refined carbohydrates. At the same time, physical labour has declined sharply, replaced by mechanisation and desk-based work. In some communities, a larger body size is still seen as a sign of prosperity. Eastern India presents a mixed picture. States such as Bihar and Jharkhand continue to show lower prevalence, largely due to persistent poverty and undernutrition.
This is also beginning to change. Urban pockets in West Bengal and Odisha are already showing rising levels of abdominal obesity, pointing to shifting diets and lifestyles. “This coexistence of undernutrition and obesity—often within the same region—is becoming one of India’s biggest public health challenges,” the researchers said.
The analysis revealed distinct gender patterns across regions. While southern states like Kerala show higher prevalence of abdominal obesity among women, certain districts in Telangana and UP report higher rates among men.