Lifestyle Diseases: Beyond Hospitals and Prescriptions

There was a time when illness in Kashmir was largely associated with infection, harsh weather, poor sanitation or the lack of timely medical care. Today, another crisis is unfolding quietly inside homes, offices, schools and neighbourhoods. It is the growing burden of lifestyle diseases—diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, fatty liver, certain cancers and other chronic conditions linked to changing patterns of living.

These diseases do not always announce themselves dramatically. There may be no sudden fever, no visible wound and no immediate emergency. A person may feel perfectly…