Early diagnosis, awareness key to tackling obesity, hypertension, diabetes surge: Centre

To curb the surge in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, the Union Health Ministry is focusing on early diagnosis and awareness drives, Health Minister Prataprao Jadhav said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Citing the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21), he said 24% of women and 23% of men in India are overweight or obese. More than 1 crore people have hypertension, and about 64 lakh are diabetic and receiving treatment, according to data from January to June this year.

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The minister said rising consumption of processed foods, reduced physical activity, and lifestyle changes have fuelled the surge in non-communicable diseases in both urban and rural areas. To address this, the government is focusing on awareness campaigns and early screening to encourage behavioural change.

Under the National Programme for Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), the ministry has organised health melas at primary health centres to promote healthy lifestyles. Teachers and students have been sensitised to reducing sugar and oil intake. To promote an active lifestyle, the AYUSH ministry carried out yoga-related activities.

Population-based screening is also being carried out at over 1.77 lakh health centres using the Community-Based Assessment Checklist (CBAC) for people aged 30 and above. One key parameter recorded through CBAC is waist circumference, which helps in the early identification of overweight and obese individuals, the minister said. Nationwide screening camps for hypertension and diabetes were also conducted from February 20 to March 31, 2025.

He noted that under the programme, 770 District Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Clinics, 233 Cardiac Care Units and 6,410 NCD clinics at Community Health Centres have been set up.

At the district-level clinics, counsellors advise patients and their families on lifestyle changes and risk factors to help manage conditions identified through the screening programme, Singh added. Community health officers, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and accredited social health activists (ASHAs) are trained to counsel patients on diet, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol cessation, and regular medication adherence.

The ministry also highlighted collaborative efforts across departments, including the Fit India Movement and Khelo India initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and yoga-based activities at the community level by the Ministry of AYUSH, to promote fitness and an active lifestyle nationwide.