There was a time when diabetes was seen as a man’s disease a byproduct of business lunches, middle age, and city stress. In fact, a generation ago, a man in his forties with a receding hairline and a growing belly was often seen as a picture of prosperity a symbol of success and comfort. But that comfort, as we now know, often came from a more sedentary, less active lifestyle.
Today, that picture has changed and sharply so. The faces of diabetes are increasingly those of women young, middle-aged, and elderly -balancing work, caregiving, and household responsibilities, often at the cost of their own health.
The data tell a story of both progress and paradox. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2021), diabetes now ranks among the top 10 causes of death for Indian women, with a mortality rate of 26.9 deaths per 100,000 women- significantly higher than men at 19.6 per 100,000. In just two decades, deaths linked to diabetes among women have risen by over 70%, outpacing improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
Behind those numbers lies an everyday truth: Indian women are doing more than ever before professionally and personally but their health systems, habits, and support structures haven’t evolved at the same pace.
The Double Burden: Earning, Caring, and Ignoring
Across cities and small towns alike, women are now primary earners in millions of households. They lead teams, manage classrooms, run businesses and then return home to cook, care, and nurture. This dual role brings pride, but it also brings pressure.
Modern working women, especially between the ages of 30 and 50, are living under what doctors now call a “double stress load.”
On one hand, they face professional deadlines, long hours, and limited time for physical activity. On the other, emotional and domestic responsibilities often fall squarely on their shoulders.
Chronic stress elevates cortisol, disrupts sleep, and increases blood sugar levels quietly setting the stage for insulin resistance. Add to this irregular meals, processed food, and limited self-care time, and you have the perfect conditions for diabetes to flourish silently.
In fact, GBD and ICMR data show that urban Indian women now have a higher prevalence of diabetes (13–15%) than men (11–12%), a reversal of trends seen a generation ago. And the condition is not confined to cities anymore smaller towns and even semi-rural districts are catching up fast.
The Unseen Epidemic: Gestational Diabetes and Life-Course Risk
One of the most concerning shifts in recent years is the rise of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) high blood sugar first detected during pregnancy. Today, nearly one in five Indian pregnancies is affected by gestational diabetes. For many women, it disappears after childbirth but 50–60% of them go on to develop type 2 diabetes within a decade.
This means that diabetes risk in women begins earlier than we think not at midlife, but often in their 20s or 30s, linked to lifestyle, diet, and genetics. Unfortunately, postpartum screening and follow-up remain sporadic, especially in government facilities and smaller clinics.
Women in India, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, often return to family duties immediately after childbirth, skipping critical checkups for themselves. In the process, early warning signs are lost.
The Numbers Beneath the Surface
According to GBD 2025 projections, India has over 101 million people with type 2 diabetes, and when undiagnosed cases are added, the number may exceed 212 million.Among women, diabetes now accounts for nearly 4% of all female deaths in the country.
In states like Jammu & Kashmir, diabetes prevalence is estimated at 9–10% among adults, slightly lower than national averages but rising faster than before. Urban districts like Srinagar and Jammu record higher rates, especially among women aged 35–55. Cold weather, sedentary habits during winter, and changing dietary preferences with increasing reliance on packaged foods are driving this uptick.At the national level, diabetes-related disability and premature mortality together have increased India’s DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) burden by almost 75% between 2000 and 2025.
This is not just a medical statistic it’s a social and economic concern, translating into reduced productivity, higher healthcare costs, and growing dependence in families.
A World Flooded with Smart Drugs and Growing Inequality
Globally, the conversation around diabetes has shifted to new “miracle medicines” Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic drugs that promise control over both diabetes and obesity. They represent an extraordinary leap in science, showing how far biotechnology has come.
But they also reveal a painful divide. These drugs are priced far beyond the reach of most Indians, available only to those who can afford private care. The truth is, while some can “buy” their way to better glucose control, millions still depend on awareness, lifestyle change, and public health systems.
For the majority of Indian women, prevention remains the most powerful medicine and awareness, the most affordable one.
Stress, Systems, and the Need for Integrated Care
If the 20th century was about discovering insulin, the 21st must be about ensuring continuity of care.
The Government of India’s National Programme for NCD and Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres are attempting to bridge this gap offering screening, counselling, and treatment closer to home.
But the difficulty is not just medical it’s cultural. Women ignore fatigue, blurred vision or frequent urination for a long time until their family life gets disrupted. Self-care is still considered a luxury.
To change that mind-set, you need more than doctors and data you need dialogue, in schools, workplaces and homes.
The Bigger Picture: From Awareness to Action
Between 2018 and 2025, India is expected to have an additional 677 million people living better lives, and 174 million will have been provided with basic health services. Yet within that progress lies an unfinished agenda gender equity in health.
We need to stop thinking of women’s health as simply maternal health. This covers chronic disease prevention, mental health and lifelong access to care. DHS: When women do well, households, economies and nations do well.
A Call for Collective Responsibility
Diabetes is not just a number; it’s a narrative of modern life of convenience over caution, of stress over self-care, of awareness waiting to become action.
The theme of World Diabetes Day 2025 “Diabetes Across Life Stages” reminds us that the solution lies in integrating health at every step of life.
From school canteens to office cafeterias, from maternity clinics to senior care, we must create environments that nurture health, not harm it.
India’s women are working harder, living longer, and carrying more and they deserve systems that carry them in return.
In Closing
As a doctor and a woman, I see diabetes not just as a disease of the body, but of the times we live in.
It mirrors our choices, our priorities, and our pace. Let this World Diabetes Day be more than a reminder let it be a reset. Because while medicine may treat diabetes, only awareness, empathy, and equity can truly heal it. |
