Doctor warns India is facing dangerous rise of metabolic syndrome

A senior bariatric and gastrointestinal surgeon from Gurugram has raised a strong warning about a major health problem that is spreading across India. Dr Anshuman Kaushal, who has more than seventeen years of medical experience, said that India is not fighting one disease anymore. Instead, it is battling a whole group of problems that come together under one name, which is metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome happens when the body stops responding properly to insulin. When insulin does not work well, the body enters a harmful state. Hormones begin to get overloaded, the liver becomes inflamed, and fat starts to build up much faster than normal. This condition quietly leads to fatty liver, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of heart attack and other serious illnesses.

In a video posted on November seventeen, Dr Kaushal explained that this health condition is growing very fast in India and many people may already have it without knowing. He said the warning signs are clear. A big waist, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low good cholesterol, and raised blood pressure are the five red flags. When three of these five signs appear in a person, it means there is a high chance of metabolic syndrome.

He described the condition as a silent threat because it develops slowly, without strong symptoms in the beginning. Many people think they are healthy until the problem becomes too serious. Doctors call this a “gateway disease” because once a person has metabolic syndrome, it becomes much easier for diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver to appear.

The surgeon also explained why this condition is becoming common in India. Many people eat more processed foods, sit for long hours, and do not exercise enough. Stress levels and lack of sleep also make insulin resistance worse. Over time, these factors push the body into what he called a “metabolic traffic jam”, where nothing in the system moves smoothly.

To help people understand their own risk, Dr Kaushal shared easy self-check points. If the waist size is more than thirty-five inches for men or more than thirty-one point two inches for women, it is a concern. If fasting blood sugar is above one hundred milligrams per decilitre, triglycerides are above one hundred and fifty, or good cholesterol is too low, these are strong signals. Blood pressure that stays above one hundred thirty over eighty-five, or the need for BP medicines, is another sign.

Doctors say that early steps can help stop the condition from getting worse. Eating balanced meals, staying active, getting proper sleep, and checking health numbers regularly can protect people from long-term problems. Many cases can be controlled if detected early, but ignoring the symptoms makes the situation much harder.

Metabolic syndrome is now one of the biggest public health warnings for India. Experts believe that simple awareness and early lifestyle changes can prevent many serious diseases that follow this condition. The message from the surgeon is clear: understanding the signs today can help protect your health tomorrow.