The study that looked at the burden of overweight citizens in six countries — Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa — has found that between 1998 and 2005, India’s overweight rates increased by 20%.

Currently, almost 1 in 5 men and over 1 in 6 women are overweight. In some urban areas, the rates are as high as 40%.

Published in the Lancet on Thursday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the study warns that low-income countries cannot cope with the health consequences of wide scale obesity.

‘India in grip of obesity epidemic’ – The Times of India