The
nutrition transition occurring in the
World Health Organization South-
East Asia Region, as a result of rapid
urbanization and
economic development, has perhaps made this region one of the epicentres of the diabetes
epidemic. This
review attempts to evaluate the
role of
diet and
physical inactivity in the South-
East Asia Region in promoting this
epidemic and points to
strategies to slow it down by
lifestyle modification. The emerging new
food-
production technologies and
supermarkets have made energy-dense
foods more easily available. This includes refined
carbohydrate foods like those with added
sugars, and refined grains and unhealthy
fats. In addition, increased availability of modern
technology and motorized transport has led to decreased
physical activity. South
Asian diets tend to be based on high-
carbohydrate foods, with a predominance of refined grains. All of these accentuate the
risk of diabetes in people of this region,
who already have a unique “south
Asian phenotype”. However, there is increasing evidence that altering
diet by replacing refined
cereals like
white rice with
whole grains (e.g. brown
rice) and increasing
physical activity can help to prevent diabetes in highrisk individuals. An urgent, concerted effort is now needed to improve
diet quality and encourage
physical activity, by introducing changes in
policies related to
food and
built environments, and improving
health systems to tackle
noncommunicable diseases like diabetes.