Produced by
Directed by Catherine Armbruster
Health vs. Wealth: The Diabetic's Dilemma
India is in the midst of a health transition. As the prevalence of infectious diseases continues to decline, Type 2 diabetes and obesity are emerging as major public health concerns. Urbanization and industrialization have transformed India into a global economic powerhouse. However, India's economic boom has lead to lifestyle changes, such as a decrease in daily physical activity coupled with an increase in sedentary behavior, as well as the replacement of traditional foods with fast foods and store-bought, packaged foods that are high in fat and calories. These lifestyle changes are responsible for the emergence of the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity.
A Tool for Public Health
The implementation of culturally specific, community-based, sustainable lifestyle interventions aimed at primary prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes is a critical public health priority for India. INDIAbetes is being used as a tool to educate viewers about India's health transition as part of the public health response. INDIAbetes is also valuable for researchers and public health practitioners outside of India. In the United States, type 2 diabetes is more prevalent among immigrant populations than among individuals born in the US. In Atlanta, diabetes prevalence is greater among immigrants from India than among blacks, whites, and Hispanics living in the US. INDIAbetes will be used by Catherine R. Armbruster in her MPH thesis research, which aims to determine the influence of migration from urban India to the United States on health and nutrition behavior in the context of its effects on type 2 diabetes and obesity risk. In December 2008, INDIAbetes LLC was incorporated with the purpose of raising funds to produce a feature length documentary on the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity.