India, March 4 -- India will have the largest population of obese or overweight adolescents/young adults (15-24 years) by 2050, as per an analysis published in The Lancet. It will also have the second-largest population of obese or overweight children (5-14 years). Throw in adult obesity at 450 million or close to 12% of the global overweight/obese population estimated in 2050, and the health care challenges for the country seem overwhelming.

From cardiovascular illnesses to cancers, from type 2 diabetes to hormonal imbalances, the health effects of being overweight or obese are physiologically pervasive. With such a large population facing these risks, the burden on health care will shoot up by many multiples from now, stretching the al...