A recent study conducted by a team from SKIMS Soura under the Indian Council of Medical Research (IndiaB) has found that 84.2 percent of adults in Kashmir live physically inactive lives, with little to no exercise or regular walking.
Released in late 2024, the research surveyed 2,510 participants across Kashmir and Ladakh, with 70 percent belonging to rural areas.
The study claims to be the “largest study” of its kind in the region, examining the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
The study found that 55.3 percent of people in Kashmir are obese, a dramatic increase compared to 2010, when only 16 percent of people aged 20 to 40 years were classified as obese. Over the past 14 years, obesity rates have risen by nearly 250 percent.
The growing obesity levels have been linked to a range of serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, Type-2 diabetes, certain cancers, and mental health issues.
The study also highlighted a rise in diabetes, with 7.8 percent of Kashmir’s population living with the condition. There is a notable gap between urban and rural areas, as 13.1 percent of urban residents are diabetic compared to 5.6 percent in rural regions. Similarly, hypertension affects 32.4 percent of the urban population, with lower rates found in rural communities.
Despite the alarming data, awareness about the health risks remains limited.
Only 55 percent of participants knew that diabetes can be prevented, and just 51 percent were aware of its potential to damage other organs of the body.