Goa has emerged as one of the most obese states in India, with nearly half of its adult population now overweight or obese, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) 2023-24 data. The survey, released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reports that 45.1% of women and 43.6% of men in Goa have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m² or above, significantly higher than the national averages of 30.7% for women and 27.3% for men.
The findings mark a steep rise from NFHS-5 (2019-21), when 36.1% of women and 32.6% of men in the state were classified as overweight or obese, underscoring the rapid escalation of lifestyle-related health risks. Alongside obesity, the prevalence of high blood sugar has also surged, with 32.1% of men and 27.5% of women in Goa recording blood sugar levels above 140 mg/dl or being on medication for diabetes, compared to national averages of 20.9% and 17.8%, respectively.
Goa now records the highest prevalence of raised blood sugar among men in the country, marginally ahead of Kerala, which stands at 31.9%. The state has also reported an increase in hypertension, with 27.5% of men found to have elevated blood pressure or be on treatment, against a national average of 22.1%, further highlighting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
Health experts attribute the rising trends to sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, increased consumption of processed foods and reduced physical activity, particularly in urban and semi-urban pockets. The NFHS-6 data is expected to prompt policymakers and health authorities to scale up state-level interventions focused on early screening, community awareness, and prevention of obesity, diabetes and hypertension to curb Goa’s mounting lifestyle disease burden.
