Obesity is a growing global menace, and Nepal is no exception to this trend. The lifestyles of many Nepalis, particularly in urban areas, have drastically changed over the years, with many consuming excessive amounts of highly processed foods, sugary drinks and unhealthy fats which directly contribute to obesity. Lack of physical activities and longer screen times add to the problem. Children, as young as those under five, also regularly consume energy-dense chocolates and other high-fat foods which lead to high weight.

As a result, the percentage of obese males in Nepal, which was 11.7 percent in 1990 rose to 29.5 in 2021, while the obesity rate among females jumped from 13.9 percent to 28.1 percent in the same period. If this trend is not reversed, by 2050, Nepal’s obesity rates will shoot up to 52.2 percent for males and 47.8 percent for females, according to a recent report by The Lancet, a leading international medical journal. The prevalence of obesity in Nepali children is also alarming, with 3 percent of children under five being obese, as highlighted by last year’s report from Baliyo Nepal, an NGO working to reduce malnutrition and hunger.

Obesity comes with severe health problems, disability and premature death. The World Health Organisation (WHO) lists cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon) etc., as serious health issues linked to obesity. Concomitantly, the organisation points to the long-term human suffering and economic burden of these diseases. Notably, childhood obesity increases the risk of children’s early exposure to non-communicable illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. It also affects their overall development, cognitive functioning and productivity.

To help countries control and prevent non-communicable ailments among young people, the WHO recommends a balance between physical activities, screen time and sleep through its 24-hour Movement Guidelines for Early Years (2019). However, these measures are far from being realised in our country. For example, a 2023 pilot study under the SUNRISE initiative in Syangja district found that only 10 percent of the 100 children aged 3-4 met the requirements. Health experts warn that further delay in addressing the problem of obesity could lead to a healthcare crisis in Nepal.

The problems of overweight and obesity are preventable with the right policies and measures. However, the federal government is walking the opposite way by not investing enough in health. The Ministry of Finance has recently set a ceiling of Rs83 billion for the Ministry of Health and Population—Rs3 billion less than the amount set aside for the ministry for this fiscal year, which is already inadequate to meet the legions of challenges in Nepal’s health sector. Even as the government of Nepal levies high taxes on processed and packaged food, sugary drinks and other high-fat foods, their consumption remains high.

While government intervention, awareness programmes and promotion of healthy diets and budgets are of utmost importance, the onus of controlling obesity largely falls on individuals. Healthy health habits are not as hard to cultivate as some of us think they are. Consuming a little more unsaturated fats, as well as fruit and vegetables, nuts, and legumes, while also engaging in physical exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, as recommended by the WHO, would not only help ward off obesity but also lead to countless other health benefits down the line. The government can only nudge people in the right direction. They must also invest in their health—their biggest asset.