Environmental pollution has been identified as one of the major risk factors in the prevalence of diabetes in India. Environmental pollutants and endocrine disruptors represent a new frontier in diabetology, Dr. Vitull K. Gupta, chairman, Association of Physicians of India (Malwa Branch), said on Thursday.
Making a presentation on ‘Pollution and Diabetes’ at the 53rd national conference of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India, Dr. Gupta said, “The interplay of industrialisation, environmental exposures, and metabolic health requires urgent attention.” He highlighted the need for stricter emission standards, monitoring and regulation of pesticide usage, and reducing plastic usage in food packaging. At the clinical level, he suggested incorporating environmental history in diabetes risk assessments.
Panel discussions and scientific presentations on various aspects of diabetes were held.
Emotional eating
Presenting a paper on ‘Emotional Eating and Dietary Compliance in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes – A Psychosocial Metabolic Analysis’, Smita Singh, clinical dietician, said women were more prone to emotional eating-induced diabetes.
Ms. Singh said a cross-sectional study conducted among adults with type 2 diabetes had found that 58% of women were found to be emotional eaters, compared with 34% of men.
Published – November 06, 2025 11:55 pm IST
