The Indian Express ·
Why the same rice or roti may lead to weight gain in one, keep the other lean
It’s not simply about the grain. Portion size, processing, muscle, insulin resistance and what’s on the rest of the plate can all change how your body responds to carbohydrates
“Rice or roti—which one is making me gain weight?” Few questions can turn an Indian dining table into a nutrition debate so quickly, and it is one I hear almost every day in my clinic.
Someone brought up in Bengal may insist, “Rice cannot be the problem. We have eaten it for generations.” Someone from Punjab may make exactly the same argument for wheat. We tend to assume that a food eaten for generations must somehow suit our genes. Yet even within the same family, two people can share the same meals and live under the same roof, while one gains weight and develops diabetes and the other remains lean with normal blood glucose. So why do our bodies respond so differently to the same plate?
