Obesity: India's Hidden NCD Crisis Threatens Progress, Demands Urgent Policy Shift

• Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease, not just a lifestyle choice, driving NCDs like diabetes and heart disease.
• Nearly one in four Indian adults is overweight or obese, with 40% experiencing high-risk abdominal obesity.
• Indians develop metabolic risk at lower BMI thresholds, making early detection and intervention crucial.
• Delayed care-seeking for NCDs leads to complex, costly, and unsustainable treatment burdens on healthcare.
• Policy frameworks must evolve for early identification, clinical recognition, and long-term management of obesity as a disease.