A new paper published in The Lancet has issued a stark warning about India’s rapidly changing dietary patterns, linking an explosive rise in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption to the country’s worsening obesity and metabolic health crisis.
According to the study, India’s UPF sales skyrocketed 40-fold over 13 years from $0.9 billion in 2006 to an astonishing $38 billion in 2019. Researchers note that this sharp increase mirrors global trends but is especially concerning for India, where traditional diets are quickly being replaced by packaged, high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat foods.
Health Crisis Mirrors Dietary Shift
The health data underscores the magnitude of this transformation. Between 2019 and 2021:
29% of Indians nearly one in four were obese.
One in ten lived with diabetes.
One in seven had prediabetes, indicating high future risk.
Two in five suffered from abdominal obesity, a strong predictor of heart disease.
Childhood obesity is rising sharply as well. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), obesity among children increased from 2.1% in 2016 to 3.4% in the 2019–21 period a trend public health experts call alarming and largely driven by increased consumption of UPFs, sedentary habits, and aggressive marketing targeted at young audiences.
Public Health Experts Call for Urgent Action
Experts argue that the rise of ultra-processed foods in India has been propelled by rapid urbanisation, changing lifestyles, easy availability, and low price points but the long-term health costs may be devastating.
The Lancet paper urges policymakers to consider strong regulatory steps, including:
Clearer front-of-package nutrition labels
Restrictions on junk-food marketing to children
Taxes on high-sugar and high-fat packaged foods
Public awareness campaigns promoting traditional and minimally processed diets
With India already battling rising cases of diabetes, heart disease and obesity conditions that strain families, society and the healthcare system the study warns that without immediate intervention, the nation risks an unprecedented epidemic of diet-related diseases.
A Tipping Point for India’s Food System
The report concludes that India stands at a critical juncture. As UPF consumption continues to surge, the challenge for policymakers will be to balance consumer choice, food industry interests, and the urgent need to safeguard public health.
If current trends continue, experts caution, the economic, medical and social burden could be far greater than imagined making it imperative for India to act now.
