The Local Heroes: How People in Kolkata Are Managing Diabetes Well

In Kolkata, where the propaganda of unhealthy food follows from the bustling street food treats to home celebrations, health also plays its hidden roles in the city's relentless rhythm. The city never stops, so do the people. Citizens in Kolkata know how to fight, as they have been doing for centuries. So, when diabetes rates climb, so do the urban citizens. Starting from a homemaker, to an IT technician, or even retired individuals, everyone plays a crucial role in fighting diabetes in their own way. These local heroes prove that management is not a sacrifice but a new way of adaptation.

Story 1: Madhumita - The Homemaker Who Rewrote Her Recipes

Get to Know Madhumita: Madhumita Banerjee, a 52-year-old resident of Behala, has been juggling the kitchen to house accounts with her own hand. She loves her passion for cooking and serving delicious meals to her family, friends, relatives, and even neighbours.

Diabetes Journey: Madhumita’s life changed when she found her HbA1c was 8.2% two years ago. According to her, in the beginning, it felt like she was losing her kitchen. She said she could not imagine ‘mornings without luchi, alur torkari, or evenings without dudh cha and singara’. Inspired by Desun Hospital's nutritionist and dietician, she never banned anything but started experimenting with new recipes (Desun Hospital, 2025).

Cope-Up Journey: She replaced her love for fried fish with bhapa mach and started using brown rice instead of polished white rice. She makes dessert herself with paneer mixed with dark chocolate and still enjoys her misti doi occasionally. Even her family joined her, as she turned every Sunday into something healthy.

Story 2: Ritwik - The Young IT Professional Who Balanced Work and Wellness

Get to Know Ritwik: Ritwik Saha, a 27-year-old Software developer who has been coding through 12-hour-long shifts for 3 years, lives alone near his office at Salt Lake Sector V. From his student life till office, his life has been dependent on egg rolls and Red Bulls, and 3-4 cups of coffee, until prediabetes knocked at 25.

Diabetes Journey: As Ritwik explains, ‘he was too young to worry about sugar’, but the constant fatigue and brain fog, and tiredness made him realise that something was wrong. He went for a check-up and was diagnosed with prediabetes.

Cope-Up Journey: Ritwik was stressed about his sudden changes at the beginning, but he was motivated to fight back and regain his life to normal, like others, despite having prediabetes. He did not join a gym or start a crash diet. Instead, he began walking 8,000-10,000 steps a day. His midnight biriyani was swapped with early dinners with vegetable khichdi or protein-based salad. He continued to track his level, and when it went down to 5.8%, he felt his energy up and stayed more motivated.

Story 3: Mrs. Sen - The Retired Teacher Who Built a Walking Community

Get to Know Mrs. Sen: Mrs. Malabika Sen, a 68-year-old retired English teacher, lives near Deshapriya Park. She was busy juggling home and work, and before she realized, diabetes got her 20 years ago.    

Diabetes Journey: She has been living with Type 2 diabetes for 20 years and has been inspiring others around her with shared jokes and laughter.

Cope-Up Journey: After her retirement, drawing from the global walks like Diabetes UK's Wellness events and local Desun camps, she launched her own walking community (Diabetes Wellness and Research Foundation, 2025). Soon, 15 retirees joined the team, and they circle the lake at dawn, share stories, jokes, and even take a rest when they feel tired. Sometimes, they also join after lunch, especially during any festival time, to burn the extra calories from low-sugar treats they had at noon.

Lesson to Learn

Madhumita’s kitchen swap, Ritwik’s lifestyle change, and Mrs. Sen’s walking group; Everyone is different in their process, but they teach so much to the community, who struggle to accept diabetes.

●       Small and steady swaps without breaking consistency.

●       Family and Friends joining the journey can keep accountability light.

●       Progress over performance

●       A little cheat once in a while, but burn that after

[ Disclaimer: Some names and details have been changed to protect privacy. These stories are inspired by real experiences of individuals from Kolkata living with diabetes.]