A new survey shows nearly 30 percent of urban Indians are obese

From New Delhi Bureau Chief Anita Pratap

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- In sharp contrast to the images of famine and emaciated bodies in early 20th-century India, urban obesity is becoming an increasing problem as the century closes.

While obesity is rare in rural India, where people still work hard in the fields, recent surveys show nearly 30 percent of Indians in urban areas can be classified as obese.

"The combination of high-fat diets and the lack of exercise are probably the two key factors for the higher prevalence of obesity in urban India today," says endocrinologist Mandeep Bajaj.

Economic gains and the increasing popularity of Western fast food are also padding waistlines. And surveys show urban obesity is more prevalent in women than in men.

Some urban Indians are trying to lose weight by going to the gym or taking brisk walks. But according to doctors, many may be fighting a losing battle.

Obesity among children is a growing problem in India

"Most Indians tend to accumulate fat around their waist. This is something that Indians as an ethnic group seem to be genetically predisposed to," says Bajaj. And that can lead to big problems -- diabetes, high cholesterol and heart ailments.

"That's what we are witnessing in urban India today -- a virtual mini-epidemic of these illnesses," says Bajaj. "And obesity forms the cornerstone of the problem."

Perhaps even more troubling to doctors is the fact that obesity is also more prevalent among Indian children today than it was two decades ago.