Obese or slim, over 71% Indians metabolically unhealthy, finds study
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Nagpur: Over 71% Indians are metabolically unhealthy, even though many of them appear slim or of normal weight, finds a recently-published national-level study. The study, led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), highlights how millions of Indians may appear slim on the outside but harbour silent threats like high blood sugar, bad cholesterol, and hidden body fat.
This large-scale survey, part of the ongoing ICMR-INDIAB study initiated in 2012, was conducted across 31 states and Union Territories, covering a representative sample of 1,13,043 individuals aged 20 years and above from both urban and rural areas.
One of the key co-authors of the study is Dr Prashant Joshi, executive director and CEO of AIIMS-Nagpur, who emphasised the urgency of these findings. "Our study shows that only about 26.6% of Indians are metabolically healthy.
This means nearly three out of four people, even some who look thin, are at risk of serious diseases like diabetes and heart problems because of hidden metabolic issues," Dr Joshi told TOI.
"This is one of the most recent and largest national studies on metabolic health. Our data shows that Indians are uniquely prone to having unhealthy fat inside the body — even if their weight is normal. So looking thin is not a guarantee of being healthy."
"The most worrying part is that 71.6% are metabolically unhealthy in some way. This includes people who are overweight and those who look thin but are metabolically obese," said Dr Joshi.
While the study covers the entire nation, Dr Joshi noted that cities like Nagpur are not immune to this hidden crisis. "We are increasingly seeing young people in Nagpur and Vidarbha with normal-weight but having high sugar, cholesterol or fatty liver," he said.
Experts warn that depending only on body weight as a measure of health can be misleading. Dr Joshi urged people to undergo regular health check-ups. "This study should be a wake-up call. Thin does not always mean healthy," Dr Joshi said.
# Four sub-groups identified in study
Metabolically Obese Non-Obese (MONO) | 43.3% – Normal weight outside but unhealthy inside; high sugar, cholesterol, or blood pressure
Metabolically Obese Obese (MOO) | 28.3% – Overweight or obese and also unhealthy inside; high sugar, bad cholesterol, or high blood pressure
Metabolically Healthy Non-Obese (MHNO) | 26.6% – Normal weight and healthy inside; good sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure
Metabolically Healthy Obese (MHO) | 1.8% – Overweight or obese, but still healthy inside; normal sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure for now
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