In today’s fast-paced world, we are witnessing a shift in the burden of disease from infections to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, cancer, and mental illnesses. What’s alarming is that these once-called “lifestyle diseases” are now affecting not just the elderly, but children, teenagers, and young adults as well.
According to the World Health Organization, NCDs account for nearly 74% of all global deaths. In India alone, over 60% of all deaths are linked to NCDs. Yet, they remain under-discussed and dangerously normalized in our everyday lives.
What Is Driving This Surge?
Several interconnected factors are to blame:
1. Processed and Ultra-Refined Food Consumption:
Packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and fast food are replacing home-cooked meals, leading to rising cases of obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver even among children.
2. Sedentary Lifestyle:
With the dominance of screens in both work and leisure, physical activity has declined drastically. Children no longer play outside, and adults spend hours sitting, contributing to poor circulation and metabolic disorders.
3. Digital Overload and Mental Health Breakdown:
Chronic screen exposure, unrealistic beauty standards, and lack of real-world connection have led to a surge in anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and even eating disorders among youth.
4. Air Pollution and Environmental Triggers:
Our cities are choked with pollutants that increase the risk of cardiac issues, respiratory disorders, and even cancers. Long-term exposure weakens the immune system and increases oxidative stress, a key driver in the onset of chronic diseases.
5. Delayed Screenings and Poor Health Literacy:
Most people ignore early warning signs like fatigue, sudden weight gain/loss, chest pain, or hormonal irregularities. Preventive screenings are often dismissed as unnecessary unless a crisis occurs.
The Bigger Picture: Youth at Risk
Younger populations today are developing hypertension at 25, type 2 diabetes at 20, and even being diagnosed with colorectal cancers before the age of 30, conditions traditionally associated with old age. A sedentary, stress-ridden, ultra-processed lifestyle is changing the natural course of health in terrifying ways.
In girls, early puberty, menstrual irregularities, and PCOS have now become common. Boys, too, are experiencing testosterone imbalances, poor stamina, and mood disorders, all linked to poor diet, exposure to endocrine disruptors (e.g., plasticizers and ink chemicals), and sleep disruption.
How Can We Stop This Epidemic?
1. Revolutionise Diets:
Encourage whole food consumption: fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and clean proteins. Cut down sugar, trans fats, and soft drinks.
2. Move More, Sit Less:
Introduce minimum 30-minute daily walks, yoga, or cycling. Schools and workplaces should adopt “movement breaks” every hour.
3. Digital Detox & Mental Health Check-ins:
Promote screen limits and real human interactions. Encourage teens to talk about emotions without fear. Integrate mindfulness practices and counselling into schools.
4. Regular Health Screenings:
Even young people should check their blood pressure, sugar levels, thyroid profile, and undergo basic physical exams annually.
5. Awareness Campaigns:
The government and NGOs must invest in health literacy campaigns to make early detection a cultural norm and not a last resort.
Prevention Is the Real Cure
While medicine has made strides in treating diseases, the war against NCDs cannot be won in hospitals alone. It starts in our kitchens, schools, offices, and communities. Preventing NCDs is far cheaper, easier, and more effective than treating them after they strike.
Let us begin by changing what we eat, how we live, and how we think about health.
A nation cannot progress if its youth is burdened with chronic illnesses. We owe it to ourselves and the generations ahead to reclaim our health.
The future will be shaped not by the strongest, but by the healthiest.
Junaid Maqbool is a researcher in immuno-oncology and a public health advocate. He writes on rising health concerns, disease prevention, and environmental risks and awareness.
The writer can be reached at junaidmaqboollectures57@gmail.
