Diabetes in India

Why in news?

Scientific evidence shows that diets heavy with ultra-processed food and beverages or high in sugar, fat, and salt are risky and can lead to diabetes.

What is diabetes?

• Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder which is the most common pancreatic endocrine disorder (Non-Communicable Disease).
• Characteristics- It is caused due to insufficient, deficient or failure of insulin secretion.
  • Hyperglycaemia- Increase in blood sugar level
  • Glycosuria- Excretion of excess glucose in the urine
  • Polyuria- Frequent urination
  • Polydipsia- Increased thirst
  • Polyphagia- Increase in appetite
• Types of Diabetes - There are 3 main types of diabetes.
  • Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops your body from making insulin.
  • Type 2 diabetes is caused when your body does not use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels.
  • Gestational diabetes is caused by the insulin-blocking hormones that are produced during pregnancy.

What is the relation between processed foods and diabetes?

• Ultra processed foods- According to the World Health Organization, consumption of unhealthy ultra-processed foods and beverages such as carbonated drinks, instant foods, Sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meat products, etc. cause diabetes.
  • A 10% increase in the consumption of ultra-processed food a day is associated with a 15% higher risk of type-2 diabetes among adults.
• Obesity- When food is ultra-processed, its structure is destroyed and cosmetic additives, colours, and flavours are added.
• This makes people eat more, gain weight, and heightens the risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases.
• Complications-Obesity and diabetes are key risk factors for heart disease and deaths.

How India become a playground for the food industry?

• Fall in sale in other countries- It is reported that the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages has fallen in the last 20 years in many high-income countries.
• To compensate for the loss of sales, companies are now focusing on low- and middle-income countries such as India.
• Marketing- Billions of rupees are spent on marketing and advertising ultra-processed food and beverages, which leads to increased consumption by vulnerable populations.
• Celebrity endorsements also determine their consumption decisions.
• It targets younger generations and the growing middle class, making it hard for an individual to choose healthy food options.
• Environment- While the food industry blames people for bad choices, it is not the people but the environment around them that is to blame.
• Women- Women bear the silent burden of this illness as gestational diabetes is common among pregnant women where hormonal changes make the blood sugar levels oscillate.
• Issues with the food industry- They do not want any restrictions on marketing and they offer partnerships as well as arguments of economic development as ‘stakeholders’.
• The food industry also participates in programmes such as ‘Eat Right’, making false promises.
• Lack of regulation- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has allowed a dominating role to the food industry where front-of-package labelling is still not in place.

What lies ahead?

• Institutionalisation- States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala have tasked Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Anganwadi workers with door-to-door screening, doing glucometer checks, and counselling people.
• Legal framework- Regulatory policy on restricting the marketing of ultra-processed foods and providing warning labels on junk food and beverages is the need of the hour.
• Awareness- The people must be informed of the risk of consuming such food.

References

1. The Hindu- Defusing the ticking bomb called diabetes
2. The Hindu- Silent burden for women