Indians are facing a surge in diabetes and obesity, and a major new study points the finger at our changing diets—too many carbs and saturated fats, but not enough protein.
The Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study, released this week and published in Nature Medicine, reveals that most people in India get a whopping 62 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates. That’s one of the highest rates worldwide, and it spells trouble for metabolic health.
A lot of these carbs come from poor sources like white rice, processed grains, and added sugars, all linked to higher risks of diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity. In southern, eastern, and northeastern India, white rice rules the plate, while folks in the north and central regions lean more on wheat.
Sugar is another red flag. Researchers from the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai found that in 21 states and union territories, added sugar makes up more than the recommended 5 percent of total energy intake.
The study drew from a huge survey of 121,077 adults across urban and rural areas in all 36 states and union territories. It shows total fat intake stays under the national guideline of less than 30 percent of energy, but saturated fat often goes over the healthy limit of 7 percent. Only four states—Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur—keep it in check. Plus, good fats like monounsaturated and omega-3 polyunsaturated types remain low everywhere.
Protein intake? It’s disappointingly low at just 12 percent of calories on average, with the northeast topping out at 14 percent. Most of that protein (9 percent) comes from plants like cereals, pulses, and legumes. Dairy provides about 2 percent, and animal sources just 1 percent—both way too skimpy nationwide.
“Typical Indian diets pack in carbs from white rice or wheat flour but skimp on quality protein, leaving millions at risk,” says lead author Dr. R.M. Anjana, president of MDRF. She adds that swapping white rice for whole wheat or millets helps, but it’s not enough—you need to cut total carbs and boost calories from plant or dairy proteins instead.
The study warns that simply replacing carbs with red meat or more fats won’t offer the same protection against diabetes and obesity.
These insights could spark big changes, like tweaking food subsidies and health campaigns to push for diets higher in plant-based and dairy proteins, while dialing back carbs and saturated fats. “Such shifts could turn around our nutrition trends, fix protein shortages, and boost overall diet quality,” says senior author Dr. V. Mohan, chairman of MDRF.
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