Assess your Type 2 diabetes risk based on key health factors
India has more people living with diabetes than almost any other country in the world โ over 100 million by recent estimates, which is why India is sometimes called the "diabetes capital of the world." What's particularly alarming is the number of undiagnosed cases: for every person who knows they have diabetes, there is roughly one more who has it but doesn't know yet.
Indians also develop Type 2 diabetes at younger ages and lower BMI compared to Western populations. A 40-year-old Indian with a BMI of 24 can have the same diabetes risk as a Western person with a BMI of 28-30. This is the "thin-fat Indian" phenomenon โ higher central fat deposits and insulin resistance at lower body weights.
The IDRS was developed by researchers at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation specifically for the Indian population. It uses age, waist circumference, physical activity level, and family history as the four main parameters. A score of 60 or above indicates high risk and warrants a blood glucose test. The IDRS has been validated in multiple Indian population studies.
Family history is a particularly strong risk factor for Indians โ if both parents have diabetes, the lifetime risk is around 60-70%. Abdominal obesity (even in people with normal BMI), sedentary lifestyle, high carbohydrate and refined sugar diet (maida, white rice, sugary drinks), stress, and PCOS in women are major modifiable risk factors.
Interestingly, shift workers and those with disrupted sleep patterns have significantly higher diabetes risk โ night shifts are particularly associated with metabolic dysfunction. With India's growing IT and service sector employing millions in non-standard hours, this is an underappreciated risk factor.
The landmark Diabetes Prevention Program study showed that lifestyle intervention reduces diabetes risk by 58% in high-risk individuals โ more effective than metformin medication for most people. The interventions were not extreme: modest weight loss of 5-7%, and 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
Dietary changes that help: replacing white rice with brown rice or millets (ragi, jowar, bajra), reducing maida-based foods, eating more vegetables and fibre, choosing whole fruits over juices, and avoiding sugary drinks and packaged snacks. These changes don't require a dramatic lifestyle overhaul โ small consistent shifts add up significantly over time.