Abstract
This paper examines the patterns and correlates of excess weight among urban adults in different parts of India. Incidence of excess weight is most prevalent in the North-Western and the Southern States of the country, and among women than men in urban India. Association of weight with expenditure is mostly positive across the different parts of the country. Easy and abundant availability of rice from the PDS in the South is strongly correlated to unhealthy weight levels. Sedentariness, whether at work or at home, is an important correlate of overnutrition, particularly in the North-West. Additionally, we find that individual who are overweight or obese are more likely to report having a non-communicable disease. The proportion of individuals reporting heart disease and high blood pressure is highest in the North-Western states of India, whereas reporting diabetes is highest in the Southern states.
