India's alarming sugar consumption in 2022 led to a diabetes epidemic
In 2022, India attained a dubious distinction as the world's largest consumer of sugar, with a staggering 29.5 million metric tons of sugar consumed collectively in one year. While the sweetness of sugar might seem innocent, the bitter reality is that this excessive consumption has fueled a diabetes epidemic across the nation, affecting over 100 million Indians, as per data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR-INDIAB). Diabetes, characterized by abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood, poses significant health risks, with serious implications for multiple organs in the body. Heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease, nerve damage, and a plethora of other complications lurk in the shadow of diabetes. Shockingly, the most common cause of death among people with diabetes is heart attacks. The intertwining relationship between diabetes and heart disease cannot be overstated. Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, stands out as a major risk factor for heart disease
