Publication

Abstract : Obesity is a vexing problem in the developed economies. [1],[2] For developing countries like India, morbid obesity has not yet become a public health priority. Why is this so? Well, the reasons are still far from clear. Probably, India is, in our own eyes, still a country of poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Yet, statistics suggest otherwise. India is one of the capitals of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. India's economy is, by all accounts, better poised to withstand the recessionary trends seen across the major nations of the globe, making it less poor and more wealthy. Yet, it is this very wealth which brings with it an unwanted epidemic of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Development brings with itself urbanization and reduction in physical activity. It also fuels inflation, which reduces access to increasingly expensive fruits and vegetables. And, while the rural poor may continue to accrue the benefits of physical activities, the urban poor will be at a relative disadvantage - how will they be able to afford going to the fitness centers that continue to offer health and succor to the urban elite?