PM Modi Urges India to Confront Obesity in Mann Ki Baat Address
In his address to the nation today, PM Modi framed the fight against obesity as both a personal duty and a national imperative, citing alarming global and domestic trends.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast on Sunday to issue a clarion call against India’s rising obesity crisis, urging citizens to reduce oil in their diets by 10 percent and spread the challenge to others. In the 119th episode, PM Modi framed the fight against obesity as both a personal duty and a national imperative, citing alarming global and domestic trends.
“Obesity is not just a choice—it’s a responsibility to our families,” PM Modi said, pointing to a study showing one in eight people worldwide grapple with the condition. He highlighted World Health Organization data from 2022, noting that 2.5 billion people were overweight, and warned that India’s cases have doubled in recent years, with a fourfold surge among children. “This invites diseases like diabetes and heart trouble,” he added, pressing for immediate action.
PM Modi’s solution was practical: cut edible oil use by 10 percent monthly and encourage 10 others to follow suit. “Small steps can make us fitter,” he said, echoing a theme from his National Games speech in Dehradun earlier this month. The broadcast featured Olympians Neeraj Chopra and Nikhat Zareen, who endorsed healthier lifestyles. Chopra, a double Olympic javelin medalist, shared his journey from overweight youth to athlete, urging parents to ditch fried foods and exercise with kids. Zareen, a two-time boxing world champion, called obesity a “national concern” spreading too fast.
Cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty, also featured, labeled obesity a medical issue, not a cosmetic one, blaming excess oil and carbohydrates like rice and sugar. Modi tied this to rising heart disease and hypertension, pitching dietary shifts as a path to a “disease-free future.”
The prime minister’s challenge—starting with 10 people post-broadcast—aims to spark a grassroots movement. With India’s health care system strained by noncommunicable diseases, Modi’s focus reflects a broader push for a “Fit India.” As the address aired, social media buzzed with support, though some questioned enforcement. For now, PM Modi bets on collective will to trim the nation’s waistline.
