India, Nov. 18 -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) first recognised obesity as a disease in 1998, shattering the long-held belief that it was merely a cosmetic concern.

Today, obesity is known to increase the risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnea, joint problems, and at least 13 types of cancer.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) reported an alarming statistic of obesity in the Indian population. According to the survey, 23% of women and 22.1% of men are overweight as per the BMI criterion. Alarmingly, obesity is also on the rise among adolescents. Between 2005 and 2010, the proportion of overweight or obese Indian adolescents climbed from 16.3% to 19.3%, the second-hig...