View Point
India’s Dual Burden of Overweight/Obesity and Anemia: A Viewpoint on Trends, Determinants, and Policy Implications
Anita Khokhar
Director Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New
Delhi-110029, India
*Corresponding author:Dr. Anita Khokhar, Director Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi-110029, India. E-mail Id: anitakh1@yahoo.com
Article Information: Submission: 14/05/2025; Accepted: 15/07/2025; Published: 17/07/2025
Copyright: © 2025 Khokhar A. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
India is facing a unique public health crisis characterized by the simultaneous prevalence of overweight/obesity and anemia, especially among women, children, and adolescents. This dual burden of malnutrition poses significant challenges to health systems, as it affects both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS), National Health Profile (NHP), and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) reports indicate that while overweight and obesity rates have risen, anemia remains widespread. This viewpoint explores the trends, gender and age-wise comparisons, and underlying determinants of these two conditions. It also discusses government interventions such as Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) and POSHAN Abhiyaan. Finally, the paper offers recommendations focused on integrated health and nutrition strategies, multisectoral coordination, and community-based interventions to address this dual burden effectively.
Keywords:Obesity; Anemia; India; Public Health; Malnutrition