India’s obesity crisis: Modi says to cut down on cooking oil, experts urge wider reforms
The prime minister calls it a small change for better health, but experts say bigger action is needed to prevent a crisis
However, analysts say it will take a much broader approach – targeting not only diet but also sedentary lifestyles and inadequate sports infrastructure – to avert a public health crisis.
“You should decide that you will use 10 per cent less oil every month. By making small changes in our eating habits, we can build a healthier and disease-free future,” Modi said on Sunday during his monthly radio programme, Mann ki Baat, that focuses on topics of national importance.
A day later, Modi nominated 10 celebrities from different walks of life – including industrialist Anand Mahindra, chief minister of Indian administered Kashmir Omar Abdullah and singer Shreya Ghoshal – to help spread awareness about the issue.
The liberal consumption of cooking oils commonly found in Indian cuisine can, over time, result in obesity and potentially lead to issues including diabetes and heart and lung diseases, health experts agree.