World Obesity Day 2026: Top 5 countries with the lowest obesity levels; is India on the list?
Obesity is a modern epidemic that has tripled worldwide since 1975, with 13% of adults obese and 39% overweight, linked to health issues like diabetes and heart disease. On World Obesity Day, we look at the countries with the lowest obesity rates.
World Obesity Day
World Obesity Day is observed on March 4. With growing changes in our lifestyles, obesity is on the rise. The global initiative aims to raise awareness about obesity, its causes and its impact on health.
Act on Obesity
The theme for 2026 is ‘8 Billion Reasons to Act on Obesity,’ emphasising the need for collective action to address this growing health concern.
Countries with lowest obescity
While we often talk of the countries where obesity rates are at all time high, there are also countries which have low obesity. The reasons are not always something to rejoice though.
Pacific island nations dominate the top obese countries, with Nauru leading at 61% obesity; factors include dietary changes, fast food prevalence, and possible genetic predispositions. As of early 2026, the countries with the lowest adult obesity rates are primarily located in Asia and Africa, driven by traditional diets, lower processed food consumption, poverty, and more.
Vietnam
According world population review’s 2022 report, Vietnam has the lowest obesity rate at 2.1%. The country consistently ranks as one of the thinnest countries, with a diet low in fat and high in vegetables.
Timor-Leste
The tiny Southeast Asian country’s obesity rate stands at 2.2%. The country maintains low obesity rates, partly due to traditional dietary habits.
Ethiopia
The African country has 2.4% obesity rate. The country records very low levels of obesity, which is mostly associated with high rates of undernutrition in rural areas. Lack of proper food and poverty contribute to the low obesity rate.
Madagascar
Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's fourth-largest island and has an obesity rate of 4.45 %. Facts contributing to the low rate are low income, poverty, undernutrition and more.
Cambodia
Similar to its neighbours, a diet low in processed foods keeps obesity rates under 5% in Cambodia. The obesity rate of this Southeast Asian country stands at 4.5%.
Where does India stand?
India comes under the top 20 list of the least obese countries. As of 2022, India’s obesity rate stood at 7.51% however, the availability and consumption of processed food in the country have been on the rise for many years now, and lifestyle changes have led to the replacement of traditional food items with quick fixes with health experts raising concern over India’s growing obesity rate.
)
)
)
)
)