Obesity and weight
Obesity is a long-term medical condition, not a lack of willpower. These guides explain how weight and waist size are measured for Indians, how weight-loss medicines such as GLP-1 medicines are used, and what to discuss with your doctor about side effects, diet and stopping treatment.
Understanding obesity and body measures
GLP-1 medicines in India
Side effects and safety
Stopping and weight regain
Diet, protein and muscle
Common questions
Tools
- BMI calculator for IndiansThis tool divides your weight by your height squared and reads the result against the Asian-Indian cut-offs. Overweight starts at 23 and obesity at 25 for Indians. BMI is a screening measure, not a diagnosis.
- Body Roundness Index calculatorThis tool turns your waist and height into a Body Roundness Index (BRI). A higher value means a rounder shape with more weight around the middle. It is a screening number, not a diagnosis.
- Waist-to-height ratio calculatorThis tool divides your waist measurement by your height. A ratio of 0.5 or more is commonly linked with higher health risk from fat around the middle. It is a screening measure, not a diagnosis.
Videos
- How to read a body composition (BIA) reportA body composition analyser passes a tiny electric current through the body to estimate fat, muscle and water. Good-quality machines give useful numbers such as body fat percentage and visceral fat, but the results are estimates and should be read alongside your weight, waist and health conditions.
- Diet and exercise while on GLP-1 weight-loss medicinesGLP-1 medicines reduce appetite, but lifestyle still decides how much of the weight lost is fat rather than muscle and how well results last. The discussion covers food quality, enough protein, strength training and sleep for people on or about to start these medicines.
- How to manage your weight (in Hindi and English)Weight gain has many causes, so weight management works best with realistic targets, a sustainable diet, a gradual increase in activity and good sleep. Medicines can help some people, but they add to lifestyle changes rather than replacing them.
- The three pillars of lasting weight lossLasting weight loss rests on three pillars that work together: what you eat, how active you are, and the habits and skills that help you keep going. The best plan is the one you can stick to for years, not the one that sounds most impressive.
- What is obesity and how is it measured?BMI is a simple starting point, but it cannot tell muscle from fat or show where fat sits, and Indians carry more health risk at a lower BMI. Doctors now combine BMI with a waist measure and check whether excess fat is already harming the body.
- Why do we gain weight? From before birth to old ageWeight gain has many causes that build up over a lifetime, starting with genes and conditions in the womb and continuing through childhood habits, sitting, poor sleep, stress, hormones and some medicines. It is rarely just a matter of eating too much or being lazy.