A disturbing health trend is reshaping India’s medical and insurance landscape — the rising incidence of cancer and metabolic disorders among people under 50. Once considered diseases of aging, these conditions are now striking younger, working-age adults at an unprecedented rate, triggering a rethink in how the country’s insurers design coverage, calculate risk, and promote preventive healthcare. Advertisement

Recent studies show that a combination of urban lifestyles, poor nutrition, pollution, and high stress levels is accelerating chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular ailments, and early-onset cancers. According to health insurers, claims linked to lifestyle-related illnesses have risen sharply in the last three years, particularly among policyholders below 45.

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