Carb-heavy diet linked to rising diabetes, obesity

Most Indians get a staggering 62% of their calories from carbohydrates, one of the highest in the world, said a new study released on Tuesday.

- Rhythma Kaul

And much of this comes from low-quality sources like white rice, milled whole grains, and added sugar. In contrast, Indians get only 12% of their calories from protein.

India's rapidly changing eating habits are powering a dramatic rise in diabetes and obesity, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study published in the journal Nature Medicine. The study claims that just replacing just 5% of the calories from carbohydrates with that from plant and dairy protein could significantly reduce the risk.

To be sure, there is a huge diversity in intake of nutrients across the state according to the study.

White rice dominates diets in the southern, eastern and northeastern parts of the country while wheat is more common in the northern and central parts. Millets as a staple are consumed in only three states: Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra with major types including finger millet (ragi), sorghum (jowar) and pearl millet (bajra).