The Curse of the South Asian Belly

Summer’s upon us, which means bare midriffs are everywhere. But for many South Asians, the exposed belly can come with ample anxiety: why does fat seem to collect there first, and leave there last? It turns out the story begins before birth. 

In March 2003, medical scientist Chittaranjan Yajnik published a paper that shocked the world. Puzzled about why Indians developed diabetes at higher rates, he compared newborns in rural India, near Pune, to a control group: white babies born in Southampton, U.K. He found that Indian newborns were “thin” but “relatively adipose” — carrying more fat than expected — and had a “fat-preserving tendency,” especially compared to their white counterparts. 

So should we all just cancel our gym memberships, give up on after-dinner walks, and binge-eat to our hearts’ content? The Juggernaut spoke to doctors, endocrinologists, and fitness coaches to separate fact from fiction when it comes to fat accumulating around our midsections — and what we can actually do about it.