When fries turn out to be a hot potato
The findings are of particular interest for India and should prompt a course correction, given the country is grappling with high T2D incidence — as per the International Diabetes Federation, China, India, and the US make up the top three countries for the highest number of diabetics and are projected to remain so till 2045. Potato's ubiquity across regional cuisines in India and the versatility of its use are well known. This is what makes it so singularly dangerous for India in the context of battling diabetes. While the per capita consumption is low — less than 15% of world leader Belarus, as per the World Population Review — overall consumption is quite high, second only to China.
Childhood obesity — with strong links to T2D in later years — is on the rise in the country. Consumption of fried potato-based snacks such as French fries and potato wafers has boomed over the past few decades — indeed, as India turned a major exporter of frozen French fries from being an importer, domestic consumption also rocketed. Throw in India's high white rice consumption, and the diabetes threat starts to look like an epidemic. Diabetes is associated with systemic degradation — it can cause blindness, renal and cardiac troubles, and skin ulcers, among others, mediated by various neuropathies, myopathies and vascular conditions linked to it. The BMJ findings should be an opportunity to focus on reducing risks by nudging healthier eating by children and adults alike. This will not be easy given rice and potato are staples.
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