Being an Indian Diabetic: Why India Is the Diabetes Capital

In India, diabetes has gripped the population, as the World Health Organization discloses that “77 million people above the age of 18 years” suffer from type 2 diabetes and “25 million” with prediabetes (WHO, 2025). While once this was considered a “rich man’s disease”, in recent generations, due to the unhygienic lifestyle, diabetes has quietly become a public health crisis across every group in India, receiving the satirical title of the diabetes capital of the world.

Get to know Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease caused by a hormonal imbalance, where the body struggles to manage blood sugar levels properly. In general, Insulin is responsible for moving sugar from the bloodstream into the cells to generate energy. However, when mishaps occur, the continuous process breaks down, causing sugar to build up in the blood, creating diabetes.

There are two types in this category, including Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus, among which the former one is the most common, with 2 subdivisions, including Type 1 and Type 2.  In Type 1, the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to almost no creation of the hormone. Type 2 occurs when the body feels confused about whether it produces enough insulin or how to use it effectively.

The Indian Context- Why the Nation Tops the Chart?

The estimated number of diabetic individuals gradually grows over the years, as the number has grown from 32 million in 2000 to 101 million in 2025 (Mohan & Tiwaskar, 2025). The genetic factors are, of course, very important to the diagnosis, but the disease has turned into an epidemic caused by more environmental factors and lifestyle habits.

Indian food habits are filled with loaded carbs: Rice and Rotis for meals, Parathas for breakfast, festive sweets, filled with sugar, and late-night food consumption. A recently published article suggests that not even half of the adult Indian population meets the WHO guidelines of sufficient physical activity, and the number only grows upwards, raising awareness about the future of the nation (Mascarenhas, 2024). Urbanization further creates unhealthy habits, making two-wheelers or car rides necessary, abandoning small walks to burn calories, which ultimately contributes to their diabetes gain. Recent BBC reports highlight that Indians are one of the populations to be targeted as being overweight or obese, as the country’s undernourished population is being slowly replaced by overweight males, females, and children (Figure 1).

Note: Obesity Growth Among Indian Men, Women, and Children

Source: (Pandey, 2022)

Lifestyle and Environmental Factors

While just a generation ago, Indians used to walk more and liked to eat home-cooked meals, this generation has started to catch up to packaged foods, like noodles, and sugary drinks. The top five preferred foods of this generation are:

1. Biryani

2. Pani Puri or any type of Chaat

3. Butter Chicken

4. Fried food

5. Sweets

With a habit like this, no gym membership can mitigate the issue. Reportedly, Indians are overworked and have an unnatural sleeping schedule of less than 6 hours daily (Panigrahi, 2024). As doctors say, lack of sleep and stress are always cortisol’s best friends, which spikes sugar. Further, pollution in urban cities adds oxidative stress, worsening insulin resistance. While this generation is often called lazy, it is the system that redesigns people’s lifestyles through speed

The Human Side- Disease or Shame? Everyday Reality of Being Diabetic in India

Controversies and judgments can be found everywhere in India, where people are forced to hide their disease to avoid being called in public or at home. In this country, if you reject a sweet given to you by your relative, it is seen as a rejection. Diabetes in India is not merely a biological issue, but a personal failure.

The Bigger Picture- Can You Cure It?

While diabetes is not completely curable till now, it can be managed, following these small steps:

●       Walk at least 20 minutes daily

●       Include a balanced diet

●       Sleep by 11 p.m.

●       Keep up with regular checkups

Key Takeaways

➢     India may lead in diabetes cases to date, but it lacks awareness of counting them.

Regular check-ups, walking, and being mindful of diet can change the graph at any time