Maharashtra gets healthier kids, sicker adults: NFHS sounds alarm on obesity, diabetes surge | Mumbai News

This means Maharashtra has moved from roughly one in four adults being overweight to almost one in three within just five years.

The urban-rural divide is even more revealing. More than four out of every ten urban adults are now overweight or obese. Urban women recorded an obesity prevalence of 40.1%, while urban men stood at 41.7%. In contrast, the corresponding rural figures were 24.8% and 27.1%, respectively.

The survey also shows a worrying increase in people reporting high blood sugar levels or taking medication for diabetes.

Among women, prevalence rose from 12.4% to 16%, meaning roughly one in six women now faces diabetes-related health concerns. Among men, the increase was from 13.6% to 17.7%, bringing the figure close to one in five adults.

Urban areas again stand out. Nearly 20.4% of urban men and 19.3% of urban women reported high blood sugar levels or diabetes medication use, compared with 16.4% and 14.1% respectively in rural areas.

The increase in obesity and diabetes together points to a growing burden of non-communicable diseases that could place enormous pressure on Maharashtra’s healthcare system in the coming decade.

High blood pressure has also become increasingly common.

The survey found that 24.9% of women and 27.7% of men either had elevated blood pressure readings or were taking medication to control hypertension.

Among urban men, the figure touched 30%, meaning nearly one in three men in Maharashtra’s cities is living with hypertension. Urban women recorded a prevalence of 26%.

Another trend is the increasing reliance on Caesarean deliveries.

The state’s C-section rate has risen from 25.4 per cent to 33.6 per cent, meaning one in every three births is now delivered surgically. Private hospitals continue to account for much of the increase, with nearly half of all deliveries in private facilities taking place through Caesarean section. However, public hospitals are also recording steadily rising rates, suggesting that the shift extends across the healthcare system.

The survey has also shown encouraging signs.

Stunting among children under five years of age has fallen from 35.2 per cent to 29.5 per cent, while wasting has declined from 25.6 per cent to 19.9 per cent. These improvements indicate that fewer children are suffering from chronic and acute undernutrition than before.

Vaccination coverage has also improved significantly. More than eight out of ten children aged 12-23 months are now fully immunised, compared to fewer than three-quarters in the previous survey.

However, some warning signs remain. Exclusive breastfeeding among infants below six months has declined from 71 per cent to 64.7 per cent, with urban areas recording the steepest fall. Equally concerning is the fact that only 9.3 per cent of children aged between six months and two years receive an adequate diet, a figure that has shown little improvement over the years.