‘Dal-roti or quinoa doesn’t matter’: Bhagyashree on food myths, diabesity and fitness

For many years, Maine Pyar Kiya actor Bhagyashree has been an active advocate of health and is often spotted organising or attending health awareness initiatives. A qualified nutritionist, she regularly keeps sharing ‘ghar ke nuskhe’, fitness tips, and more on her Instagram handle.At 57, she can easily push through hectic workout routines and strike any challenging yoga pose – inspiring millions.The actor has joined hands with the digital health platform Neofit Universe as its brand ambassador to raise awareness about ‘diabesity’, the co-occurrence of diabetes and obesity in India. The platform focuses on delivering science-backed, expert-verified information on diabesity to help people make informed health decisions. India has the world’s second-largest population of people with diabetes and a vast pool of individuals with prediabetes, many of whom are at risk of developing the disease within the next five years. In an interview over the phone with indianexpress.com. Bhagyashree opened up about the initiative, her mother’s experience with diabetes, Maine Pyar Kiya, GenZ, why she thinks joint families are vanishing, and more. The interview has been edited for clarity. Q. There has been a massive rise in ‘diabesity’ in India. Why do you think that’s happening? Bhagyashree: Yes, that’s true, and it seems to be growing in India. It’s almost the third largest in the world when it comes to diabetes and obesity. Considering we have yoga and Ayurveda, it still happens in our country. It is quite shameful. I wanted to create more awareness of these issues. We have to understand that there are certain genetic factors at play, and certain habits we otherwise think are very healthy. But in the long run, they face backfire. There are also a lot of fad diets that everyone gets so obsessed about. That really creates chaos in one’s body.Story continues below this ad I think awareness is the key to any transformation. And I wanted to helm that awareness. Bhagyashree recalls that even when she was a kid her mother would keep on telling her how aware she should be about diabetes and health (Image: Instagram/Bhagyashree)Q. India also has a rising number of pre-diabetic people in the world. Many of us may be on the verge of being diagnosed with diabetes in the next five years. Bhagyashree: Yes, that’s Type 2 diabetes. It is more prevalent here in India. And it doesn’t have an age bar in India. For me, the awareness of diabetes came because my mother was a diabetic very early on in her life. At that time, there was no such awareness, no such knowledge available to anyone. Over the years, she saw deterioration and then she managed to take her life into control, which is amazing.Story continues below this ad She managed to steer through that, keep her diabetes in control, maintain good health, and also keep telling us as children about the kind of food we eat and things like that. So for me, it started then. I have been ever so conscious. She said, “Maine itna suffer kiya hai ki main apni kisi bhi beti ko yeh nahi dena chahti. Tum sabko bahut careful rehna padega (I have suffered so much, I don’t want my daughters to suffer. You’ll have to be careful).” But this is something not everyone talks about in their home. So yes, that’s another reason I got into this initiative to raise awareness. Q. Social media is full of hacks and cures for diabetes. In fact, every third Instagram Reel would claim a way to ‘cure’ it. Instagram has almost become the next doctor. How dangerous is this misinformation?Story continues below this ad Bhagyashree: I feel informed decisions and an informed lifestyle are very important with awareness. Instagram, of course, makes you aware of a lot of things that you probably don’t know. But creating the right kind of platform where you have doctors and medical experts who actually know their job is important. We might all have gone through certain things. Like my mother taught me a lot. But she isn’t a doctor. If I explain someth