Force-feeding and diabetes in India

Picture: A hearty homemade Indian meal! 

According to McKinsey's research institute there is a global obesity pandemic. And it is not only the Western world that is affected. Upon visiting an Indian village in the South I had a first-hand experience at how obesity starts. Every invitation to an Indian home follows the same script. The guests arrive, they sit down and then get force-fed by the hosts. And as Indian food is not about presentation but only about quantity, the hosts will immediately comment on how little the guest eats. So sitting alone at a table and being fed by three to four Indians is not the most exhilarating culinary experience. Force-feeding happens not only to guests but to all male family members as being well fed is a sign of prosperity. Combined with a lack of any physical activity and with not much of fresh, raw vegetables in their diet, the result is obesity with its well-known side-effects of heart-disease and diabetes. In fact, India is a world leader when it comes to diabetes. And for me the only way to survive any Indian invitation is to eat slowly and say no a dozen of times.