Let’s cut to the chase: from my clinic work in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi, I’m seeing a trend that’s quietly turning serious. Obesity, a bulging waistline, pre diabetes, PCOS — they’re not waiting for “later” anymore. They’re here, and for many, they’re showing up younger and harder.

Now, this isn’t just about genetics or aging. It’s about how we eat, move and live. Our cultural cooking is beautiful, but when it’s paired with long hours of work, heavy rice meals, snack culture, and little movement — that’s a risky combo.

A Day in the (Urban) Life

Here’s what many of my clients describe:

Wake up groggy after scrolling reels till midnight. A strong filter coffee loaded with sugar kicks off the day. Breakfast? Usually idlis, dosas, or pongal  sometimes paired with chutneys made richer with coconut oil or ghee. Lunch is another generous serving of white rice with sambar, rasam, or curd.By evening, it’s time for tea and something crunchy ,maybe medu vada, pakoda, or mixture. Dinner comes through Swiggy or Zomato: a “quick” biryani, shawarma, or fried rice. Between commutes, desk work, and screen time, movement barely crosses 2,000 steps.It sounds “normal”  and that’s the problem. What feels normal is setting off a silent health crisis.

What’s Going Wrong

• White Rice Overload =Fuel You’re Not Using: We love white rice,understandably so. But when nearly every meal is rice centric and your activity is minimal, that excess glucose has nowhere to go and becomes fat. I’m not saying “no rice forever,” I’m saying: make it work for you, not against you. The goal isn’t to erase our food heritage—it’s to evolve it. Rice can stay on the plate; it just needs better company—fiber, protein, and movement.
• Biryani on Demand = Calorie Bomb
  Once a festival indulgence, now a click away dinner. One restaurant style biryani can easily hit 1,000–1,200 calories (or more). If you’re doing that regularly and sitting the rest of the time, your body has little chance of burning it off.  
• Sugar in Disguise
  Sweet tea or coffee, jaggery rich sambar/rasam, snack mixes, fried savories — they all sneak sugar and refined fats in. These jump your insulin, spike cravings, and get you holding belly fat.
• Sedentary Life + Mild Climate = Movement Deficit
  Southern cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc. have huge desk jobs, tech culture, traffic, and comfortable weather that doesn’t force you to move. Combine that with ease of ordering food, and the energy in vs energy out equation goes off balance.
  If gyms aren’t your thing, take evening walks through your neighborhood streets, join weekend badminton with friends, or even dance to kannada,Tamil or Telugu beats for 20 minutes—movement is movement.
• Weight on Scale ≠ Health
  Many assume “not fat means healthy”. Nope. I see lean people with high body fat %, low muscle mass. For Indians especially, body composition matters more than just BMI.

Why This Is Particularly Relevant for South India

• Research shows that obesity (including abdominal fat) is significantly higher in the South zone compared to the North. For example: odds of obesity are about 47% higher among residents of the South zone compared to residents of the North zone. PubMed Central+2The Lancet+2
• Urban, educated populations (which many southern metros have) show higher prevalence of overweight/obesity. PubMed Central+2PubMed Central+2
• Dietary patterns: rice centric culture, increased processed/fast foods + sedentary lifestyle combine to raise risk. PubMed Central+1

What I Recommend to Every Client (and You)

You don’t have to go to extremes. But you do need to be intentional.

• Reduce white rice: Not eliminate. But maybe make white rice once a day, and experiment with millets, red rice, high fibre grains.
• Make protein a priority: Eggs, sprouts, paneer, chicken, tofu, dals — aim to build most meals around protein + veggies, rather than carbs first.
• Save biryani & similar heavy meals for occasions: If they’re regular, they’re not treats — they’re habits.
• Move more—even without the gym: Stand, walk, stretch every 60 90 minutes. Do 10 min body weight sessions if gym time is limited.
• Get body composition measured: Don’t just rely on the bathroom scale. Know your fat vs muscle ratio.
• Balance, don’t ban: Crash diets fail. Aim for 80 % smart choices, 20 % enjoyment. Sustainable wins long term.

• Swap white rice for hand-pounded rice, red rice, or millets like kodo and foxtail — they keep the same flavor profile but add fiber.
• Replace fried evening snacks with sundal (boiled chickpeas), roasted makhana, or air-fried banana chips.
• Instead of sugary coffee/tea, try black filter coffee or unsweetened masala chai with cardamom or cinnamon for natural sweetness.
• For breakfast, alternate idlis/dosas with ragi dosa, moong chilla, or vegetable upma with added lentils

Final Thoughts

South Indian food doesn’t need to be the enemy. The way we consume it — and the way we live — might be.
Our grandparents ate rice too, but they also walked more, snacked less, and worked with their bodies, not against them.

As a dietitian, I’ve seen this time and again: small, consistent changes beat extreme diets every single time.
Clients who once felt tired, bloated, or frustrated have turned things around — they’re now energetic, focused, and thriving. Not because they starved or deprived themselves, but because they made health a daily habit, not a temporary project.

If you take away just one line, let it be this:
It’s not about perfection. It’s about consistency.

So let’s stop normalizing fatigue, bloating, and stubborn weight gain.
Let’s bring back balance — one mindful meal, one walk, one better choice at a time.
You deserve to feel strong, light, and confident in your own skin.

If you’ve been stuck in the loop of dieting and regaining weight, you’re not alone — and there is a way out.
At ProGen Weight Management, our team helps you understand where you’re going wrong, assess your body composition, and guide you with personalized nutrition and fat-loss strategies.

💬 Book a free consultation to get a clear picture of your health and practical steps to start your transformation — no crash diets, no guesswork, just expert guidance that fits your life.


References:


Kumar S., et al. (2023).
Prevalence and determinants of obesity and abdominal obesity among adults in India: Evidence from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21). PLOS ONE, 18(5): e0285407.
👉 Read on PMC

Sarkar S., et al. (2024).
Spatial clustering and determinants of overweight and obesity among Indian women: Evidence from NFHS-5. BMC Public Health, 24(1): 1620.
👉 Read on PubMed

Mishra R., et al. (2024).
Prevalence and associated risk factors of overweight and obesity in Indian adolescents: A scoping review. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 43(1): 29.
👉 Read on PMC

Ng N., et al. (2016).
Urban–rural differences in diet, physical activity and obesity in India: Results from the WHO STEPS survey. BMC Public Health, 16(1): 1004.
👉 Read on PubMed

Kalra S., et al. (2023).
Defining and diagnosing obesity in India: A call for advocacy and policy. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 27(3): 195–200.
👉 Read on PMC

“Increasing obesity leading to surge in related conditions, say doctors” – Times of India, 3 March 2025 → https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/increasing-obesity-leading-to-surge-in-related-conditions-say-doctors/articleshow/118690664.cms The Times of India

“Abdominal obesity in India: analysis of the National Family Health Survey 5” – The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, 2023 → https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lansea/article/PIIS2772-3682%2823%2900068-9/fulltext The Lancet+1

“Obesity increases in India; … NFHS-5” – Down to Earth, 25 Nov 2021 → https://www.downtoearth.org.in/health/obesity-increases-in-india-haryana-karnataka-among-worst-performers-nfhs-5-80381 Down To Earth