Why understanding psychometabolic links may be crucial to combating India’s diabetes and mental health epidemic

India, currently recognized as the diabetes capital of the world, is firmly in the grip of a devastating metabolic epidemic. Historically, Type 2 diabetes was perceived as an affluent disease, predominantly affecting the upper socioeconomic strata. Today, however, this public health crisis has democratised in the worst way possible—plaguing the entire nation regardless of age, region, or economic background.

Since the 1990s, the country has witnessed a staggering 200% spike in the number of people living with the condition. Is this sudden surge primarily driven by dietary shifts? Is there an underlying genetic vulnerability unique to this ethnic group? Or are there broader environmental factors at play? Strikingly, India has now surpassed both China and the United States in diabetes prevalence, underscoring the urgent need for nuanced research to understand why this population is so uniquely vulnerable.