How Obesity Has Become A Major Global Health Challenge: Is Resistance Training The Secret Weapon? | Explainers News

By Pune Media On Sep 26, 2025

Last Updated:September 26, 2025, 10:52 IST

Several scientific studies suggest that resistance training has unique benefits in controlling obesity that go beyond what aerobic exercise, like walking, cycling alone, can do

Resistance training triggers cellular signals that help fat cells ‘burn’ more. It also improves insulin sensitivity. (Getty Images)

Obesity is no longer just a matter of aesthetics or personal choice — it is a deepening global public health challenge. Over the past decades, rates of overweight and obesity have soared across countries, across urban and rural divides, in high-income and low-income regions. What was once seen as a problem of developed nations is now firmly in the developing world’s grip too.

At its core, obesity means an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat, causing a health risk. It is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, certain cancers, and a host of other chronic conditions. The World Health Organization and countless national health agencies now regard obesity as one of the key drivers behind non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which strain health systems and budgets.

One of the key challenges is that obesity is not just overeating: it is a complex interplay of genetics, metabolism, environment, diet, physical activity (or lack thereof), socioeconomics, and increasingly, sedentary behaviour patterns (screens, urban design, transportation). In much of the world, processed food availability, sugary beverages, mechanised transport, and more sedentary occupations have made it easier to gain weight and harder to burn it off.

While many interventions focus on diet and aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling), in recent years, research has been rethinking how resistance training — strength training, weight lifting, bodyweight exercises — can play a more central role in addressing obesity.

What Are The Types And Patterns Of Obesity?

Obesity is not uniform — the way excess fat is distributed, the underlying metabolic risks, and individual predispositions vary. Some of the common types or classifications include:

General (or overall) obesity: When body mass index (BMI) is elevated across the board, regardless of fat distribution. This is the conventional measure (e.g. BMI ≥30 in many contexts, though in South Asia lower BMI cut-offs are often used).

Central or abdominal obesity: Excess fat concentrated around the waist and abdominal region. This is often measured by waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio. Central obesity is more strongly linked to metabolic risk — insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, etc. In India, studies show high prevalence of abdominal obesity, especially among women (e.g. ~40% of women in one sample had central obesity), while in men the number is lower (~12%).

Visceral vs. subcutaneous fat: Visceral fat lies deep within the abdominal cavity around organs, and is metabolically more harmful than subcutaneous fat (which lies under the skin).

Childhood obesity / adolescent obesity: Excess weight gain during developmental years, often influenced by poor diet, lack of physical activity, screen time, and familial factors.

Obesity with sarcopenia (or “sarcopenic obesity”): In some people, muscle mass is low even while fat is high. This dual burden is especially risky because muscle is metabolically active and critical for mobility and metabolic health.

Obesity phenotypes by metabolic health: Among obese individuals, some remain relatively metabolically healthy (normal blood sugar, lipids), while others have overt metabolic comorbidities (dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance).

In practice, many people have combinations of these patterns — for instance, someone with general obesity and strong central adiposity, or an adolescent with high visceral fat early.

Can Resistance Training Help Tackle Obesity?

Resistance training (RT) refers to exercises in which muscles contract against an external resistance — body weight, free weights, resistance bands, machines, or even household objects. In recent years, multiple scientific studies suggest that RT has unique benefits in obesity control that go beyond what aerobic exercise alone can do.

Increase muscle mass

Muscle tissue is metabolically more active than fat. The leaner the muscles, the higher a person’s resting metabolic rate (RMR) — meaning they burn more calories even while at rest. Resistance training helps build and preserve muscle, which is especially important during weight loss when muscle tends to shrink.

Improve fat metabolism and insulin sensitivity

Studies suggest that RT can alter how fat cells (adipocytes) behave, increasing their ability to respond to signals for fat mobilisation. In some experiments, resistance training triggered cellular signals that help fat cells “burn” more. Also, improved insulin sensitivity means glucose is more readily taken up by muscles rather than being stored as fat.

Prevent muscle loss during dieting

With calorie restriction, it is common to lose both fat and muscle. RT helps preserve muscle tissue, improving body composition even if weight loss is not large.

Enhanced functional strength and mobility

Especially in populations with obesity, being stronger helps with mobility, daily tasks, and adherence to active lifestyle changes (walking, climbing, etc.).

Hormonal and metabolic effects

Resistance training influences hormones (e.g. growth hormone, testosterone, myokines) and mitochondrial function in muscle, which can improve metabolic flexibility and energy efficiency.

Afterburn effect (EPOC: Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption)

Just like with aerobic or interval training, RT also raises energy expenditure after exercise. Muscles demand recovery — protein synthesis, blood flow, and repair, which burns extra calories.

What The Research Says

Meta-analyses show that in overweight or obese adults, RT is effective in reducing fat mass and improving metabolic markers. RT combined with aerobic training often achieves better results for glycemic control and health outcomes.

A study of home-based resistance training found that even modest RT (in overweight individuals) improved insulin sensitivity, muscle strength, and functional capacity.

Different forms of RT (resistance bands, bodyweight exercises, free weights) can all contribute to improvements in body composition and fat loss. Resistance bands may particularly help reduce fat, while bodyweight or heavier resistance training is more effective for building muscle.

In older or middle-aged populations, RT helps counteract declines in muscle mass and strength, which is especially relevant as weight gain with age is common.

Importantly, RT is not a standalone “magic bullet” — its greatest impact is in synergy with diet, aerobic exercise, and behavioural changes. But it broadens the toolkit beyond just running or cardio.

Obesity In Indian Adults And Children

India is confronting a dual burden: despite undernutrition remaining a challenge in many regions, overweight and obesity are rising rapidly.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2019-21, about 24% of women and 23% of men in India are overweight or obese.

The Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Non-Communicable Diseases Monitoring Survey (2017–18) shows 6.2% of adults aged 18–69 have obesity (BMI-based) in India.

The prevalence of central (abdominal) obesity is especially striking — in some studies, 40% of women show abdominal obesity, compared to 12% of men.

Urban-rural gap is narrowing: while cities were formerly obesity hotspots, rural areas are now seeing significant rises. For instance, among women in rural areas, overweight/obesity rates have climbed substantially over past decade.

Over time, adult obesity has increased considerably: the number of women with obesity has roughly doubled over a decade; men’s obesity rate has more than doubled in some regions.

The expansion of ultra-processed food, sugary drinks, sedentary work, motorised transport, and screen time are key drivers.

Childhood & Adolescent Obesity

In children aged under 5, the prevalence of overweight is 3.4% (up from 1.5% a decade ago).

In older children and adolescents, national meta-analyses show a prevalence of 8.4% for obesity and 12.4% for overweight. Rates are higher in private schools, urban settings, with sedentary habits, screen exposure, and changing diets.

The state projections suggest that by 2030, India may have over 27 million overweight children and adolescents — about 11% of the world’s total obese.

In specific states like Uttar Pradesh, adolescent obesity is a growing concern alongside persistent undernutrition issues.

These trends suggest a worrying shift: children who grow up obese are more likely to carry it into adulthood, with early onset of metabolic disease.

Can Resistance Training Help India?

Potential Benefits For Indians

RT can be adapted in low-resource settings (bodyweight, resistance bands) and does not require expensive gym infrastructure.

It can be especially useful for Indian urban populations who spend long hours sedentary — RT helps mitigate the metabolic damage of sitting.

For children and adolescents, integrating RT (with supervision) in school sports or physical education can strengthen muscles, improve insulin regulation, and make later interventions easier.

Because Indian populations often show high central obesity and metabolic risk at lower BMI thresholds, preserving muscle mass via RT is even more critical.

Challenges & Barriers

Awareness and culture: Many Indians equate “exercise” with walking or yoga; weight training is viewed as for bodybuilders. Changing perceptions is a big hurdle.

Space and equipment constraints: Many homes lack space or equipment (weights, resistance tools).

Lack of supervision or safety knowledge: Proper form and injury prevention require training or guidance.

Time pressures: Busy lifestyles, long work hours, and commuting constraints reduce time available for exercise.

Integration with dietary change and public health messaging: RT alone is insufficient — it must be part of a broader lifestyle shift.

What Is the Government Doing in India?

India has recognised obesity (and more broadly, non-communicable diseases) as a serious concern, and there are multiple policy initiatives and programmes targeting nutrition, lifestyle, and health.

Under the National Health Mission (NHM), various schemes target non-communicable diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

The RMNCH + N (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health + Nutrition) strategy includes interventions on nutrition, which implicitly address overweight and obesity as part of the lifecycle approach.

Parliamentary data reveal that 24% of women and 23% of men are overweight or obese, and childhood obesity projections are under surveillance.

The government and state governments have rolled out awareness campaigns on healthy eating, physical activity, reducing sugar, salt, and fats.

In some school initiatives, dietary guidelines, physical education, and restrictions on junk food inside campuses are being promoted.

The Ministry of Health has circulated guidance documents and wellness programmes for employees promoting physical activity, screening, and health check-ups.

In health surveys and planning, obesity is increasingly integrated into non-communicable disease planning, surveillance, and national targets.

Need For Scaling Up

Existing schemes often highlight undernutrition or micronutrient deficiencies; obesity programmes are relatively newer and less resourced.

Monitoring, evaluation, and implementation at the state and district levels can be weak. Some rural or poorer regions lag in awareness and access.

Integration with urban planning: sidewalks, parks, active transport, and recreation infrastructure are often lacking in Indian cities.

Linking RT (resistance training) into public sector fitness programmes or community health centres is largely untapped.

What Is The Realistic Path Forward?

RT In National Fitness Policy: The government should explicitly include resistance training in national guidelines (not just “exercise”) — with recommended protocols, for adults and children.

Public Awareness: Mass media campaigns, school curricula, and workplace wellness programmes must normalise weight training (bodyweight, bands) as part of everyday fitness.

Infrastructure & Access: Community fitness zones, open-air gyms, low-cost resistance equipment (bands, bodyweight stations) in parks, gyms in schools — especially in lower-income areas — can reduce barriers.

Training & Supervision: Health workers, physical education teachers, and community trainers need capacity building to teach RT safely, avoid injury, and tailor intensity.

Research: Encourage India-specific trials on RT interventions in diverse populations (urban, rural, children) to guide policy, dose, and duration.

Other Programmes: RT must be integrated with dietary guidance, behaviour counselling, aerobic exercise, and systemic changes (food policy, transport, urban design).

Monitoring & Targets: Use health surveys to track not just BMI, but also measure muscle strength, waist circumference, and integrate RT adherence indicators.

What Lies Ahead?

Obesity has become one of the most pressing global health challenges. While diet and aerobic exercise remain foundational, resistance training offers a powerful and somewhat underutilised tool. Its ability to build muscle, boost metabolism, preserve strength, and improve metabolic balance means it holds promise, especially when combined with other lifestyle measures.

In India, where adult overweight/obesity rates are rising sharply and childhood obesity is emerging in alarming numbers, the stakes are high. Government programmes have begun to respond, but much more needs to be done, especially in integrating strength training into public health plans. The path forward involves not just telling people to exercise more, but empowering them to lift, to resist, and to reclaim control over their health — one rep at a time.

Shilpy Bisht

Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev…Read More

First Published:

September 26, 2025, 10:39 IST

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