 IANS Photo New Delhi, (IANS): Obesity is rising at an alarming rate and is today a major public health challenge in India, said Economic Survey for 2025-26 on Thursday. According to the Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the concerning trend was driven by unhealthy diets, lifestyle changes, including sedentary lifestyles, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and environmental factors. “It is affecting people across all age groups and increasing the risk of NCDs such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, impacting both urban and rural populations,” the Survey said. Citing data from the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the Survey said that 24 per cent of Indian women and 23 per cent of Indian men are overweight or obese. Among women aged 15-49 years, 6.4 per cent are obese, and among men, 4.0 per cent are obese. The prevalence of excess weight among children under five has risen from 2.1 per cent in 2015-16 to 3.4 per cent in 2019-21. As per estimates, more than 3.3 crore children in India were obese in 2020, and it is projected to reach 8.3 crore children by 2035. The Economic Survey also flagged concern over the rising UPF market in the country, which is displacing long-established dietary patterns, worsening diet quality, and is associated with increased risk of multiple chronic diseases. “India is one of the fastest-growing markets for UPF sales. It grew by more than 150 per cent from 2009 to 2023. Retail sales of UPFs in India surged from $0.9 billion in 2006 to nearly $38 billion in 2019, a 40-fold rise. It is during the same period that obesity has nearly doubled in both men and women. This mirrors the global rise of obesity, parallel to dietary shifts,” it said. “The rising use of UPFs imposes a substantial economic cost through higher healthcare spending, lost productivity, and long-term fiscal strain,” it added. The Survey also cited comprehensive, multi-pronged initiatives launched by the government to prevent, manage, and reduce obesity in the country. The interventions include POSHAN Abhiyaan & Poshan 2.0, Fit India Movement, Khelo India, Eat Right India, Nationwide Awareness Campaign - ‘Aaj Se Thoda Kam’ and AAMs, the School Health Programme, and Yoga promotion.These aim to promote a holistic approach that integrates health, nutrition, physical activity, food safety, and lifestyle modifications and continue to advance the goal of a healthier, stronger, and obesity-free India. Lifestyle changes, intake of ultra-processed foods driving obesity at alarming rate: Eco Survey | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
Lifestyle changes, intake of ultra-processed foods driving obesity at alarming rate: Eco Survey (2026-02-16T12:42:00+05:30)
Paid ads on Twitter combined with TV ads reduced acquisition costs for mobile networks in the UK (2014-05-10T05:57:00+05:30)
 "In an analysis conducted for Twitter, MarketShare – the leader in advanced marketing analytics – has found that TV ads were more effective when combined with Twitter paid advertising for the category examined. This study – which focused specifically on new mobile service subscribers in the UK – found that for mobile carriers, TV advertising generated new customers at an average of $131 each when there wasn’t Twitter paid advertising. But for those carriers combining television ads with Twitter advertising, customer acquisition cost for TV advertising dropped to about $83, a 35% improvement. “Now more than ever, major brand marketers need to understand the complex interplay between different marketing channels, and online-offline in particular,” says Jon Vein, Co-founder and CEO of MarketShare. “This analysis for Twitter is shedding new light on today’s complex consumer journey and how companies can profit from these insights in an increasingly multi-screen world.” “We have always believed that Twitter is a powerful complement to television, and this study supports that,” says Adam Bain, President of Global Revenue for Twitter. “MarketShare’s ground-breaking work, using big data techniques and leading edge analytics, helps us quantify how Twitter can be a force multiplier, making television advertising even more effective than ever”. Study Goals and Findings MarketShare’s analysis aimed specifically to measure the impact of Twitter paid products – promoted tweets, accounts and trends – on driving subscriber growth for mobile carriers in the UK. Results shed light on Twitter’s role in driving new mobile subscribers, the role of marketing spend in stimulating Twitter engagement and increasing sales, and how Twitter advertising affects TV ad performance. Results indicate an “amplification” effect from Twitter promotions that helped mobile carriers improve ROI on their television ad spending. Paid Twitter programs also drove increases in other business outcomes for UK mobile carriers, including positive user commentary about marketing campaigns and branded search volume. The study showed that Twitter paid advertising at a relatively small amount of spend – about 1.5% of total budgets on average – produced 9.5% of marketing’s overall contribution to sales. By comparison, online display ads consumed 5.1% of ad spending and delivered 5.5% of results. Print spending, meanwhile, was 31.7% of the total, while delivering 34.5% of the results. MarketShare also measured how “share of voice” in the world of Twitter conversations (tweets; re-tweets, mentions, etc.) contributed to a lift in sales for UK mobile service providers. The study established that a simulated 10% increase in positive share of voice for service produces a 0.5% lift in sales. Likewise, a 30% boost in positive service-related conversations would lift sales 1.5% percent. As marketing complexity continues to expand, big brands are seeking new insights into how marketing channels interact, and how best to allocate marketing dollars. Now, with the help of MarketShare’s advanced marketing analytics expertise, Twitter has quantified the financial impact of paid advertising on its platform with true return-on-investment (ROI) metrics that help brands make more informed marketing choices. Future analysis will further explore the interplay between Twitter, TV and other marketing channels across more categories and geographies." MarketShare, 19-Dec-2013. Source: Article, Image: flickr.com |