Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Why Indians in Their 20s Face Diabetes, Fatty Liver
Every year, there is a special day called International Youth Day to celebrate young people.
This year, doctors in India are worried because more people in their twenties are getting diseases that used to affect much older adults.
These diseases include diabetes, fatty liver, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
A doctor at Gleneagles Hospital in Hyderabad says there is no single reason for this change.
Sitting for too long, eating lots of processed foods, feeling stressed, and not sleeping enough all play a part.
Someone can look healthy on the outside but still have hidden health problems.
Warning signs include feeling very tired, being extra thirsty, and gaining weight around the belly.
Doctors suggest simple yearly tests like blood sugar checks and blood pressure readings.
Moving for about 150 minutes each week, eating home-cooked meals, and sleeping seven to eight hours can help.
The doctor says your twenties are the best time to build good health, not wait until your forties.
Doctors in India report that conditions like prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, high cholesterol, and hypertension are now being diagnosed in people in their 20s.
Dr V Soma Srinivas, Consultant Endocrinologist at Gleneagles Hospital, Fortis Network, Hyderabad, attributes the trend to sedentary lifestyles, ultra-processed foods, chronic stress, and poor sleep.
Young people who appear fit can still have abnormal laboratory results, so relying on BMI alone is no longer enough to assess metabolic risk.
Warning signs include persistent fatigue, increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained abdominal weight gain, and skin tags or dark patches around the neck.
Experts recommend annual screenings plus lifestyle habits like 150 minutes of weekly moderate activity, seven to eight hours of sleep, and reducing ultra-processed foods.
- Who
- Young Indians in their 20s are increasingly being diagnosed with metabolic diseases; Dr V Soma Srinivas, Consultant Endocrinologist at Gleneagles Hospital, Fortis Network, Hyderabad, is the expert quoted.
- What
- A rise in prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, high cholesterol, and hypertension, conditions once seen mainly in people in their 40s and 50s.
- When
- Around International Youth Day 2026.
- Where
- India; the expert is based in Hyderabad.
- Why
- A combination of a sedentary lifestyle, ultra-processed foods, chronic stress, and poor sleep.
- Occasion
- International Youth Day 2026
- Rising conditions
- Prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, high cholesterol, hypertension
- Key causes
- Sedentary lifestyle, ultra-processed foods, chronic stress, poor sleep
- Early warning signs
- Persistent fatigue, increased thirst, frequent urination, abdominal weight gain, skin tags or dark neck patches
- Recommended annual checks
- Fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, lipid profile, liver function tests, ultrasound abdomen, blood pressure, BMI and waist circumference
- Physical activity target
- At least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week; break long sitting periods every 30 minutes
- Sleep recommendation
- Seven to eight hours per night
- Expert
- Dr V Soma Srinivas, Consultant Endocrinologist, Gleneagles Hospital, Fortis Network, Hyderabad