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India's metabolic health crisis grows with processed foods and sedentary lifestyles
Dr. Rakesh Kalapala, consultant gastroenterologist and director of the Center for Obesity and Metabolic Therapy at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, warned that obesity in India should be viewed as a complex metabolic disease affecting the whole body. He said that heavily processed foods high in carbohydrates, bad fats and refined sugars dominate both urban and rural markets, increasing cravings and delaying satiety. "The processed food itself will increase cravings because of delayed satiety," he explained, adding that such diets lead to weight gain, fatty liver, diabetes and other systemic problems.
Kalapala also highlighted the role of sedentary lifestyles and stress, noting that stress amplifies cravings through the gut‑brain axis: "stress is something which will precipitate and make people crave more and eat more." The combination of poor diet and lack of physical activity fuels a rise in fatty liver disease. He cited national surveys showing childhood obesity rates of 15‑18 % and warned that maternal overweight can transmit risk to the fetus, while academic pressure and insufficient school playgrounds further exacerbate the problem.
The expert called for greater public awareness of the dangers of processed foods and the need for regular physical activity to curb the growing metabolic health crisis in India.
Entities
Asian Institute of Gastroenterology · Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG Hospitals) · Center for Obesity and Metabolic Therapy · Dr. Kalapala · Dr. Rakesh Kalapala · India · processed foods
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Even vegetarians and teetotalers are developing metabolic disorders due to processed food consumption. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in
- [● 2 SOURCES] Heavily processed foods high in carbohydrates, bad fats and refined sugars dominate Indian markets. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in
- [● 2 SOURCES] Maternal overweight during pregnancy increases the risk of childhood obesity in the offspring. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in
- [● 2 SOURCES] The combination of processed foods and sedentary lifestyles is causing rising obesity, fatty liver disease and diabetes in India. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in
- [● 2 SOURCES] Stress exacerbates metabolic disorders by increasing cravings and reducing physical activity through the gut‑brain axis. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in
- [● 2 SOURCES] Childhood obesity rates in India are 15‑18 % according to ICMR and National Family Health Survey studies. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in
- [● 2 SOURCES] Sedentary lifestyles are widespread across India. bhaskarlive.in · tennews.in