Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has announced a nationwide educational initiative to strengthen India’s obesity care workforce by developing a network of Certified Obesity Educators.

The programme aims to train more than 5,000 healthcare support professionals, including nurses, diabetes educators, dietitians and allied healthcare professionals, in obesity prevention, risk assessment, patient counselling and long-term management.

The initiative comes as India faces one of the world’s largest obesity burdens, with more than 254 million adults estimated to be living with generalised obesity and approximately 351 million affected by abdominal obesity.

Despite the scale of the challenge, obesity remains under-recognised and inadequately managed, with many patients receiving limited support beyond periodic physician consultations.

As obesity increasingly contributes to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease and other metabolic disorders, the programme seeks to address the need for a stronger healthcare support ecosystem focused on sustained patient engagement and long-term care.

Developed in collaboration with endocrinologists and clinicians, the structured education and certification programme will provide evidence-based knowledge and practical skills in obesity risk assessment, lifestyle modification, behavioural change, treatment adherence and coordinated long-term management.

M V Ramana, CEO, Global Generics, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, said India’s obesity challenge extends beyond weight management and is increasingly contributing to several chronic health conditions.

“While treatment options continue to evolve, sustainable outcomes require a broader support ecosystem built on informed patients, trained support professionals, sustained counselling and coordinated care,” he said.

The initiative is expected to create a cadre of trained professionals who can work alongside physicians to improve continuity of care, encourage earlier intervention and support better long-term health outcomes for people living with obesity.