Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 30: A landmark national study has sounded alarm bells over the Indian diet, linking the country’s surging diabetes and obesity rates to excessively high carbohydrate and saturated fat intake, coupled with chronically low protein consumption.

The findings, published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine, come from the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study — the largest nationwide nutritional survey of its kind — and highlight how deeply entrenched dietary patterns may be driving India's metabolic health crisis.

According to the research, a staggering 62% of daily calories consumed by Indians come from carbohydrates — one of the highest proportions in the world. Much of this carb intake comes from low-quality sources like white rice, processed grains, and added sugars, which are strongly associated with diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity.

White rice remains the dominant staple across the South, East, and Northeast, while whole wheat flour features more prominently in the North and Central regions. Alarmingly, 21 states and union territories have sugar consumption levels that exceed the national recommendation of 5% of daily energy intake.

The study covered 121,077 adults across urban and rural areas in all 36 states and union territories, offering a comprehensive snapshot of how food habits vary by region — and how they are impacting health.

Though total fat intake remained within national dietary guidelines (under 30% of energy), the intake of saturated fat crossed the safe threshold of 7% of total calories in nearly every state — with only Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur falling below that limit.

Meanwhile, protein intake across India remains worryingly low, averaging just 12% of daily calories. Most of it comes from plant-based sources such as cereals, legumes, and pulses, while animal protein and dairy together account for just 3% of daily energy intake.

“Our findings clearly show that typical Indian diets — heavy in white rice or wheat and low in quality protein — are putting millions at risk,” said lead author Dr R.M. Anjana, president of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF). “It’s not enough to switch to millets or whole wheat — unless total carbs come down and plant or dairy protein intake rises, the risks remain.”

Significantly, the study found that replacing carbohydrates with red meat or unhealthy fats does not offer protection — reinforcing the need for healthier sources like legumes, dairy, and omega-3-rich foods.

Senior author Dr V. Mohan, chairman of MDRF, emphasized the policy implications: “These results should guide urgent public health messaging and reforms in food subsidies. We need to promote diets that are richer in plant-based and dairy proteins and lower in carbs and saturated fats.”

Experts say these dietary shifts could play a pivotal role in reversing current trends, narrowing India’s widespread protein gap, and improving long-term public health outcomes.