City hotspots: stark numbers

Delhi and Bengaluru are not just “unhealthy cities” in this snapshot. They are the places where Apollo’s 2026 screening data looks most concentrated, with 81% obesity in Delhi-National Capital Region and 78% overweight or obesity in Bengaluru. (ocacademy.in 1) (ocacademy.in 2) Those city numbers come from Apollo Hospitals’ sixth “Health of the Nation 2026” report, released on World Health Day, April 7, 2026. The report says it draws on more than 3 million preventive health assessments conducted across the Apollo system in 2025. (indianexpress.com) (ocacademy.in) Delhi’s 81% figure sits next to other warning signs in the same screened group. Apollo’s city analysis says 17% had diabetes, 19% had hypertension, and 23% had anaemia in Delhi-National Capital Region. (theweek.in) (ocacademy.in) Bengaluru’s mix looks slightly different. The city showed 78% overweight or obesity, 17% diabetes, and 23% hypertension, which points to a city where excess weight is already widespread and blood pressure is catching up fast. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (ocacademy.in) The national picture behind those hotspots is bad enough on its own. Apollo says more than half of Indians under 30 were overweight or obese, and one in five people under 30 were already prediabetic. (indianexpress.com) (indiatoday.in) The working population looks even heavier. In adults with an average age of 38, Apollo says 8 in 10 were overweight, nearly half had prediabetes or diabetes, and 1 in 4 had high blood pressure. (indianexpress.com) (mediabrief.com) Apollo’s own timeline suggests weight gain shows up before the worst lab numbers do. The report says weight and blood pressure often turned abnormal within 1.4 years even when baseline tests were normal, with blood sugar worsening later. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) That helps explain why these city snapshots look so severe. A place can pile up obesity first, then see diabetes, fatty liver, and heart risk arrive after it, which is why Bengaluru’s 78% weight problem and Delhi’s 81% obesity rate matter beyond appearance or body size. (healthandfamily.in) (ocacademy.in) The report also says many of these illnesses stay hidden while routine tests still look fine. Apollo found that 74% of people with fatty liver had normal liver enzyme readings, and 45% of asymptomatic people showed early atherosclerosis on cardiac scoring. (indianexpress.com) (ocacademy.in) So the city story is not just that Delhi and Bengaluru posted ugly percentages. It is that two of India’s biggest urban economies are showing what the national curve may look like a few years later: extra weight first, silent damage second, diagnosis last. (indianexpress.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)