The Metabolic Syndrome in Asian Indians: Impact of Nutritional and Socio-economic Transition in India

Abstract

Rapid pace of economic and demographic changes in India has ushered marked nutritional and lifestyle changes. The diets in the urban and semi-urban areas contain more calories and saturated fats, and less fibre as compared to the traditional frugal diets, and have become similar to diets consumed by the people living in the developed countries. The dietary globalization, seen predominantly in the major cities in India, is now gradually spreading to the rural areas. Increasing urbanization and mechanization have also resulted in increase in sedentary lifestyle. The children and adolescents are highly susceptible to acquire such unhealthy lifestyle changes. Overall, obesity and the metabolic syndrome are becoming increasingly prevalent in adults, and disquietingly, in children and adolescents in the urban areas of India. These changes are conducive to development of early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus and accelerated atherosclerosis. It is particularly important to effectively implement and strengthen population-based primary prevention strategies for the prevention of 'epidemic' of obesity and the metabolic syndrome in India.