How obesity is driving Pakistan’s diabetes epidemic
How obesity is driving Pakistan’s diabetes epidemic
Photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/text-6823459/
Media Source: The Tribune (Pakistan)
Date: 26 November 2025
Pakistan’s diabetes crisis is now among the worst in the world, but health experts warn that only half the battle is being fought. Obesity, a critical driver of Type 2 diabetes, remains largely overlooked for the main reason that people in Pakistan see it as a lifestyle failure, not a disease. Recent analyses describe…
Pakistan’s diabetes crisis is now among the worst in the world, but health experts warn that only half the battle is being fought. Obesity, a critical driver of Type 2 diabetes, remains largely overlooked for the main reason that people in Pakistan see it as a lifestyle failure, not a disease. Recent analyses describe Pakistan as facing a “double burden” of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity all rising. A national policy brief led by Aga Khan University and partners warns that NCDs now account for 58% of annual deaths, and that mortality from diabetes and related conditions is climbing. Obesity is also rarely treated systematically in primary care. According to research done by Aga Khan University, risk factors show high levels of overweight and obesity in both urban and rural populations, yet routine screening and structured weight management remain sparse.