NEW DELHI — Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, speaking at the launch of a new cardiology textbook, cautioned that abdominal (central) obesity poses a significantly greater health risk to Indians than generalized obesity. The minister noted that even those with a “normal” Body Mass Index (BMI) are at high risk if they carry excess fat around the abdomen, a condition that acts as an independent determinant of cardiometabolic risk.
Key Findings and Statistics
- National Prevalence: Data shows that abdominal obesity affects approximately 40% of women and 12% of men across India.
- The “Indian Phenotype”: Indians are biologically predisposed to accumulating visceral fat—fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity—even at lower BMI levels compared to Western populations.
- Independent Risks: Central obesity is directly linked to a suite of metabolic disorders, including:
- Type-2 Diabetes
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
- Early-onset Cardiovascular Disease
- Fatty Liver Disease
- Regional Hotspots: The highest prevalence of abdominal obesity is currently found in Kerala
(65.4%),
(62.5%),
(59%), and
(57.9%).
A New Clinical “Vital Sign”
Medical experts are now calling for waist circumference to be treated as a “new vital sign” in routine clinical practice. While BMI has traditionally been the gold standard for measuring health, it often misses individuals with the “thin-fat” phenotype who are metabolically unhealthy despite their appearance.
The ICMR-INDIAB national study suggests that roughly 35 crore Indians suffer from abdominal obesity, highlighting an urgent need for targeted public health interventions and earlier screenings.
