1 in 2 urban women in J&K now carries excess weight: NFHS-6

Jammu & Kashmir is facing a rapidly escalating lifestyle health crisis, with a startling nearly one in two urban women now carrying excess weight, according to the latest National Family Health Survey – 6 (NFHS-6) data for 2023-24. This 7 percent jump in just five years signals a major shift towards obesity and related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the region, demanding urgent attention from health authorities. This isn't just about weight; it's a dramatic shift from traditional infectious diseases to a faster-than-expected rise in lifestyle-driven ailments like diabetes. NFHS-6 reveals that 13 percent of women and 11.3 percent of men in J&K now have high blood sugar, a significant increase from five years ago. Experts like Professor S M Saleem Khan from GMC Srinagar warn that changing food habits, declining physical activity, increased processed food consumption, sedentary lifestyles, and rising stress are creating a 'double burden of malnutrition' – where both under-nutrition and excess weight are concerns. The immediate future necessitates aggressive, population-wide health interventions. Without focused campaigns on diet, exercise, and routine screening for NCDs, J&K risks an overwhelming burden of illness and soaring healthcare costs. This growing crisis in J&K mirrors a national trend of increasing lifestyle diseases across India, urging policymakers to prioritize preventive healthcare to avoid a public health catastrophe.