Indian festival traditions tied to diabetes risks

But health experts warn that the festivities, coupled with genetic predisposition and lifestyle changes brought about by the increasing prosperity of the middle class, is contributing to the country being called the world's “diabetes capital,” with the highest number of diabetics in any nation.

The string of festivals, starting with Durga Puja and Dussehra and ending with Diwali, take place in accordance with the Hindu calendar and the dates change every year. The first two were on Oct. 6, and Diwali falls on Oct. 26 this year.

“For the next one month or so, it is all either festivals or outings,” says Anoop Misra, chairman at New Delhi's Fortis-C-DOC, Centre of Excellence for Diabetes, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology.

“During this time, the rate of obesity goes up, sugar control of established diabetics goes down and those who are predisposed to develop diabetes also show diabetes.”

Festivals in India are synonymous with eating and gifting sweets, and most food and confectionery shops are decked with an assortment of goodies in colorful wrappings meant for traditional presents.

Two all-time favorites are rasgullas, a soft, spongy ball made from cottage cheese, and the conch-shaped samdesh, made from jaggery. A popular holiday treat is milk-based kaju barfi.

But experts warn the festival fun — and, not least, the culture of sweet-eating that peaks then — can help trigger long-term health problems, with diabetes only the start.

The disease is characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood and can lead to more serious complications such as heart disease and stroke, damage to the kidneys or nerves, and blindness.

But the culture of consuming sweets is hard to shake off, especially during festivals.

“Everybody (in India) has a sweet tooth, including me,” said Ramachandran, a man in his 50s polishing off a plate of sweets at a New Delhi restaurant.

“(Diabetes) is not because of sweets. It's because people are too lazy (to exercise),” he added.

Middle Class Disease?

The majority of those with diabetes have Type 2, which is linked to obesity and lack of exercise. India, with 62.4 million cases, has the world's highest number of diabetics.

Misra said numbers are rising at an alarming rate because of a newly rich middle class that increasingly consumes junk food while adopting more sedentary lifestyles.

“Their awareness about healthy eating is very low,” he said.

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