15 December 2025 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : This year has served as a wake-up call for many Indians. Health conditions that once felt distant, something to worry about “later in life” are now appearing among young professionals, new parents, and even people who consider themselves reasonably active. Diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and stubborn weight gain are no longer exceptions; they are becoming part of everyday conversation. What’s alarming is not just how common these conditions have become, but how closely they are tied to daily habits that once seemed harmless, or were even marketed as healthy.
According to Siddhi Kripal, Consultant Nutritionist, Nutriiya, these conditions didn’t suddenly appear overnight. They are the result of small, repeated lifestyle choices. “They have slowly grown out of habits that seemed easy, harmless, and sometimes even labelled ‘healthy’,” she explains. Long working hours, dependence on packaged foods, irregular meals, sugary drinks, and low fibre intake quietly add up over the years, eventually showing up as lifestyle diseases.
Kripal emphasizes that prevention doesn’t require extreme diets or complicated rules. Simple, consistent choices can make a powerful difference. Eating homemade food more often, choosing seasonal produce over ultra-processed options, staying well-hydrated, increasing fibre intake, and cutting back on sugary beverages are small corrections but ones that go a long way. “Good nutrition may not be a magic cure,” she says, “but it stops many health problems before they ever get a chance to settle in.”
Zooming out to the national picture, Arati Shah, co-founder and Head Dietitian, Café Nutrition, points out that lifestyle diseases now account for a significant portion of India’s disease burden. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, certain cancers, and even respiratory illnesses are increasingly linked to modern lifestyles. Sedentary routines combined with diets high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats are major contributors.
Shah stresses that prevention begins with early diagnosis and meaningful lifestyle changes, particularly around food. Reducing processed and packaged foods is a crucial first step. She recommends focusing on balanced portions of carbohydrates, increasing lean protein, and prioritizing fibre from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Importantly, Shah highlights the value of traditional diets. “Traditional diets over modern diets can help foster a healthy and sustainable lifestyle,” she notes, as they are often naturally balanced, diverse, and aligned with local seasons.
While general nutrition guidelines can significantly reduce risk, Dr Sajeev Nair, founder, Vieroots, highlights the growing role of personalized nutrition in preventing lifestyle diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, which he identifies as the most prevalent and serious this year. He explains that individual genetic and metabolic differences can influence how the body responds to nutrients, and ignoring these differences can leave hidden risks unaddressed.
Drawing from recent studies conducted by a Vieroots research team, Dr Nair shares that genetic risk for magnesium deficiency was found to contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease. “This nutritional risk could have been detected years or decades before cardiovascular diseases develop,” he explains. With early detection through geno-metabolic analysis, targeted interventions such as supplementation with highly bioavailable magnesium citrate could have reduced long-term risk.
Dr Nair adds that several other lifestyle diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma or COPD, cancer, dementia, and depression, also have underlying genetic-level nutritional deficiencies. These can be addressed through personalized diets and supplements, such as natural forms of vitamins C and E, along with gut-brain synergizers and longevity-focused nutrition strategies.
Taken together, insights from all three experts point to a common truth: lifestyle diseases are not inevitable. Whether through simple daily food choices, a return to traditional eating patterns, or more advanced personalized nutrition, diet remains one of the most powerful tools we have. Prevention doesn’t start in hospitals, it starts in kitchens, grocery aisles, and the small decisions we make every single day.
Summary:
This year has seen a rise in lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and heart disorders. Experts highlight that many of these conditions could have been prevented or managed through a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and mindful eating habits. Emphasizing nutrition and lifestyle choices early can significantly reduce health risks.