A Secondary Analysis of the National Family Health Survey 2019-2021 showed that 13.8% and 57.7% out of around 7,00,000 participants were obese and had abdominal obesity, respectively.

Abdominal obesity was present in 65.45% of overweight and 73.91% of obese participants.

The prevalence of both was higher among females and older individuals.

Since more than half of the Indian population has abdominal obesity, the study emphasized the need to integrate prevention of abdominal obesity as a part of the NCD prevention program as it increases the risk of non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and mortality in COPD.