India's Diabetes Crisis: 10 Crore Affected, What Changed in 50 Years?

• A 2023 study by ICMR and MDRF reveals 101 million Indians (11.4%) have diabetes, with an additional 136 million (15.3%) in a pre-diabetic stage.
• An online debate on X highlights the drastic increase from less than 3% 50 years ago to over 11% today, questioning if genes or food habits are responsible.
• Users attribute the rise to changes in dietary habits, increased consumption of processed/junk food, larger portion sizes, and reduced physical activity.
• Sedentary lifestyles, longer commutes, and increased use of technology are cited as major contributors to the decline in physical activity.
• Uncontrolled diabetes poses severe health risks including nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness, and a 2-3 times higher risk of heart attack and stroke.