Home / Health / Gujarat Women's Waistlines Expanding Rapidly
Gujarat Women's Waistlines Expanding Rapidly
9 Oct
Summary
- Obesity rose sharply in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara districts.
- Surat saw the steepest increase in obese women at 68.12%.
- Sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits are cited as primary causes.
The National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) data for 2023-24 indicates a substantial rise in obesity among women in four key Gujarat districts: Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara. Compared to the 2019-21 survey (NFHS-5), Ahmedabad now has 47.6% obese women, Rajkot 44.5%, Surat 42.2%, and Vadodara 35.9%.
Surat experienced the most significant increase, with a 68.12% rise in its obese female population, followed closely by Ahmedabad at 58.13% and Rajkot at 58.92%. Vadodara showed the lowest increase at 28.67%. These district-level increases in obesity rates largely surpass the state average rise of 41.4%, which saw obese women proportions grow from 22.7% to 31.1% between the two surveys.
Health experts, including endocrinologists, attribute this concerning trend to modern lifestyle changes. Factors such as a lack of regular exercise and a shift towards less healthy, modern eating patterns are predominantly blamed for the escalating rates of overweight and obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25.0 kg/m² or higher.
