Udaipur Teens at Growing Risk From Lifestyle Diseases

Udaipur, 01 December 2025 : Udaipur’s food culture is deeply rooted in rich sweets and fried snacks that are often included in everyday meals. Recent data show that these dietary habits, combined with increasingly sedentary lifestyles, are contributing to growing health risks among children and adults.
A statewide study found that nearly 50% of adolescents in urban areas and 33% of those in rural areas, including those in Udaipur, already show multiple risk factors for serious lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. About 12% of urban and 8% of rural adolescents have three or more such risk factors at the same time.
Dr. Zeeshan Ali, nutrition scientist with the U.S.-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), emphasized the importance of early dietary intervention. “Studies show that there is a strong connection between diet quality and cardiovascular health markers in school-age children. A higher intake of plant-based fats and fiber and a reduced consumption of added sugars were shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also helps children maintain a healthy weight, which research shows is critical for their long-term health and well-being,” he said.
Beyond long-term disease risk, diet also influences day-to-day well-being. Adolescents raised on a plant-based diet often find they have an easy time maintaining a healthy weight. They also have fewer problems with acne, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems than their peers who eat animal products.
Dr. Ali suggested practical steps families can adopt: “It is important to encourage your children and teens to develop a healthy relationship with food. Studies show that it can take 10 to 12 exposures of a new food before a child accepts it. If your children don’t eat the food, take a break and try again another day. Use herbs and spices to season the food and experiment with recipes to include lots of colourful fruits and vegetables.”
With lifestyle diseases emerging earlier than ever, the message from health experts is clear: Prevention starts in the kitchen. By gradually moving toward more plant-based meals and reducing sugary, processed animal foods, families in Udaipur can help their children build resilience against chronic disease and set them up for healthier futures.