Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged the issue of obesity and urged people to reduce their consumption of cooking oil by 10 per cent. The Prime Minister addressed the rising concern of lifestyle diseases, particularly obesity, which has become a significant health threat and referred to a recent report predicting that by 2050, over 440 million Indians will suffer from obesity.
"This alarming figure indicates that one in every three people could face serious health issues due to obesity, potentially making it a life-threatening condition", PM Modi stated. The Prime Minister urged everyone to take proactive steps to "reduce obesity" and emphasized the importance of reducing the consumption of cooking oil by 10 per cent each month, asking people to "commit to using 10 per cent less oil in their daily cooking."
"India is committed to achieving the vision of a developed nation. Only a healthy nation can achieve such a goal," PM Modi emphasised. He also encouraged the inclusion of regular physical activity, like walking a few kilometers daily, to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent obesity.
Earlier, on February 23, during the 119th episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio program, PM Modi addressed the growing problem of obesity in India, especially among children, and urged citizens to make small but significant changes in their daily diets. The Prime Minister shared alarming statistics, revealing that obesity cases have doubled in recent years. He pointed out that one in every eight people in India is affected by obesity, with an even more concerning rise in cases among children.
In his bid to widen the campaign's reach, PM Modi used his X handle to nominate prominent personalities to spread awareness about obesity and the benefits of reducing oil consumption. He tagged several influential figures, including business magnate Anand Mahindra, actor-politician Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua), athlete Manu Bhaker, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, actors Mohanlal and R. Madhavan, singer Shreya Ghoshal, and author-politician Sudha Murty, asking them to take up the challenge and nominate 10 more people each.