India gets fat on junk: McDonald's and Wimpy in Connaught Place, in Delhi

From the archive record

India's diabetes burden and the obesity problem have assumed serious levels and there's an urgent need to check these from going out of hand, the government feels. Among other factors, experts blame these on the consumption of sugary beverages and junk food. "High consumption of sugary beverages contributes to multiple metabolic disorders due to accrual of body fat, as well as directly through excess non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), which impair critical functioning of the liver, pancreas and cellular functions," said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman of Fortis C-DOC Centre of Diabetes. Public health agencies and doctors worldwide are worried over the increasing disease burden, mainly in middle and low-income countries. Latest WHO estimates show the prevalence of diabetes in India has doubled fr