Experts warn of rising obesity, heart attacks among youth, urge 'Blue Zone' lifestyle

A new health crisis is silently gripping India's youth, with leading medical experts warning that sedentary lifestyles are rapidly escalating instances of hypertension among teenagers and triggering heart attacks in individuals as young as 25.

With 50 per cent of heart attacks now striking people below the age of 50, and 60 per cent of Delhi schoolchildren obese, the alarming figures have prompted experts to declare that an urgent return to 'Blue Zone' principles is the way to reverse this urban health crisis and save the next generation.

'Blue Zones' refer to five regions around the world — Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California — where people live much longer, healthier lives, often up to 100 years, with remarkable vitality, primarily due to their unique lifestyles based on natural movement, strong community bonds, purpose, and plant-rich diets.

Dr Sanjeev Gera, Senior Director and Head of Department of Interventional Cardiology at Fortis, Noida, speaking at the HEAL OneHealth Connect Series held last week, sounded an alarm on the severity of this 'epidemic'.

"The crisis is immediate; we are seeing heart attacks as young as 25, with 50 per cent of our cases below the age of 50. Our sedentary lifestyle is the cause. The alarming 60 per cent obesity rate among Delhi teens is a ticking time bomb, fuelled by silent hypertension — leading to massive organ damage before they hit 40. We must drastically shift focus to preventative check-ups starting at 25 and adopt the simple Blue Zone principle: keep moving," he said.

Professor K G Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre, and Chairperson of the HEAL OneHealth Connect Series, said, "The role of communication and community involvement is key in achieving the goal of Healthy India. The best health schemes fail without communication. Health must become a 'Jan Bhagidari' (people's movement). Just as we have Swachh rankings for cleanliness, we must institute 'Swasthya Rankings' to rank localities on community health. Competition drives change and makes health a collective neighbourhood priority."

Dr G S Grewal, former president, Delhi Medical Association (DMA), argued that the Blue Zone is a utopian ideal, out of reach for urban populations exposed to the vices of development.

"We must create a realistic 'Pink Zone' that embraces minor lifestyle changes, early detection, and vaccinations. It's about being practical, not perfect, and living well despite urban chaos. Success hinges on reviving the old, effective model of Information, Education and Counselling (IEC) to drive behaviour change," Dr Grewal said.

Dr Nimesh G Desai, a senior psychiatrist and psychotherapist, discussed the definition of health, emphasising mental resilience and asserting that the old definition of health, the absence of disease, is inadequate.

"Health is about resilience. We must address loneliness, which is a major risk factor. As French philosopher Albert Camus suggested, 'If you feel lonely when you are alone, you are in bad company.' We must add 'life to years', not just years to life, because while pain is universal, suffering is optional," Dr Desai said.

Echoing the call for mindfulness, Dr Rekha Sharma, former chief dietitian, AIIMS, Delhi, provided actionable advice on diet.

"Our ancestors practised mindful eating naturally. The biggest secret is that your satiety centre needs a full 20 minutes to signal fullness to the brain. If you eat quickly, you invariably overeat. We must slow down, smell our food, and return to our own traditional diet of whole grains, millets, and fresh garden greens," she said.