COVID obesity is a stark truth staring us in the face, and the prediction is scary

The COVID pandemic is giving rise to a second one that is tugging at the waistline of a growing number of adults and children — the obesity pandemic. The World Health Organisation thought it fit to issue an alert that rates of obesity are reaching epidemic proportions at present. Its European Regional Obesity Report says that in the post-lockdown world, only the Americas have a higher level of obese adults than Europe. India is not far behind. The Indian Journal of Community Medicine says the prevalence of obesity has reached 40 per cent. That makes it 135 million people, give or take a few thousand. The National Centre for Biotechnology Information warns that by 2030, around 28 per cent of all overweight people in the world would be Indians. That is a scary prediction and the Indian Council of Medical Research is teaming with the National Institute of Nutrition to conduct a national survey to assess the correlation between obesity and the pandemic. The reasons are already well known. Lifestyles became sedentary during the lockdowns. Confined to home for months together, binge eating and junk eating became the norm for most. As the restrictions relaxed, a second binge followed as meal delivery apps became popular, giving access to unhealthy food and beverage options. Stress was the other culprit. Job losses, food insecurity and economic hardships added to stress levels. Stress makes the body store more fat, and that leads to obesity. Left untreated, it attracts co-morbidities including heart ailments, hypertension and diabetes.

It is time obesity is recognised as a disease which it is. As individuals, people have a responsibility to deal with it. It is not merely about medical treatment. It is also about a sustainable lifestyle, balanced eating and, in the case of mental stress, going in for counselling. It is also the responsibility of the wider society, including the Governments, to address obesity. Take the case of the food industry. Many of the marketed foods are unhealthy, particularly for children. The industry must be asked to follow a strict front-of-pack labeling system. Access to such foods must be restricted for children in school and cinema canteens. However, it remains a bone of contention between the Government and the industry. It also means that obesity is a problem not of the health sector alone but other sectors as well. For instance, fighting post-COVID obesity calls for addressing social determinants of health like job and food security of people to create stress-resilient environments — that is where the non-health sectors come in. So, we are looking at a cross-sectoral engagement with the disease. Another key issue that needs Government intervention is for medical insurance to cover obesity drugs and behaviour counselling. In India, bariatric surgery was included under medical insurance in 2019 but obese people shell out higher premiums and face several insurance plan exclusions. Many obese customers are forced to compromise on coverage for financial reasons.