Anti-obesity drive, generic drugs to remain key focus in 2026

From changing the definition to the rise of GLP1 medications and the governmentrsquos several initiatives especially Prime Minister Narendra Modis clarion call obesity became the focus of healthcare in India in 2025The antiobesity drive especially the generic drugs will continue to remain a key focus in 2026Traditionally Body Mass Index BMI was used to define obesity but after 15 long years India revamped its obesity guidelines in 2025 by lowering the threshold for obesity to 25 kgmsup2 down from the international 30 kgmsup2 with overweight defined between 230 and 249 kgmsup2The new approach focused on abdominal obesity and comorbid diseases rather than just BMI With this the clinical focus shifted from BMI to waist circumference and waisttoheight ratio WHtR to better identify abdominal fat which is more prevalent in the thinfat Indian phenotypeAccording to the National Family Health Survey 2019ndash21 nearly a quarter of Indian women and men are overweight or obese There is also a rising tide of childhood obesity with about 5 per cent of schoolgoing children being obeseThe Prime Ministers clarion call to reduce unhealthy fats and oils in food was a crucial point in the fight against obesity in the country PM Modi suggested reducing daily oil consumption by 10 per centObesity was also highlighted as a major health concern in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki BaatWhat followed was a national campaign to reduce household edible oil consumption by 10 per cent to curb obesity ratesFurther aligned with the Fit India initiative the Prime Minister also invited 10 prominent personalities to join the national movement against obesity and promote awareness about healthy food consumptionThe Ministry of Health also urged government offices and schools to install sugar and oil boards to develop healthier workplaces and build a healthy IndiaThe boards consist of informative posters and digital boards highlighting the harmful impacts of the amount of sugar and oil present in popular food items including samosas kachori pizza pakoras banana chips burgers soft drinks and chocolate pastriesIt also displays the effects of these foods on the human body as well as shares the recommended amounts of fat and sugar for individual intakeOther governmentled broader antiobesity campaigns include initiatives like Fit India POSHAN Abhiyaan and Eat Right IndiaThe nationwide Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar campaign SeptOct 2025 also focused on the health of women and families highlighting the link between maternal health and childhood obesityMeanwhile this year India also saw a surge in GLP1 medicationsThe antiobesity market in India became the fastestgrowing segment reaching Rs 628 crore by mid2025 growing at a massive 46 per cent CAGREli Lillyrsquos Mounjaro Tirzepatide Novo Nordisks onceweekly injectable weightloss drug Wegovy and Ozempic Semaglutide were launched in India this yearGeneric drugs also saw a push with Bioconrsquos Liraglutide Emcure Pharmaceuticalsrsquo Poviztra Semaglutide and Yurpeak Tirzepatide by Cipla in partnership with Eli LillyThe market is expected to change radically in early 2026 following the patent expiration of semaglutide in India in March Major Indian pharmaceutical companies including Cipla Dr Reddyrsquos Sun Pharma and Zydus are preparing to launch generic versions expected to be 50 per cent to 85 per cent cheaper than the innovator brandsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever