Adhiraj Verma
From Scarcity to Surplus
I was recently thinking about how far we’ve come as a country since the 1990s. LPG – not the gas cylinder, but liberalisation, privatisation, globalisation – changed everything.
India’s economy grew, people earned more, choices multiplied, and life, overall, got “better.” But today, I feel we’re caught in a strange trap – not of scarcity, but of surplus. What I call the problem of plenty.
When Soap Was a Luxury
There was a time when even a bar of soap was a luxury. In childhood, we used ash or mud to wash our hands. Nirol soap served as shampoo, body soap, and laundry detergent – all rolled into one.
Today, supermarket racks overflow with “herbal,” “medicated,” “sulfate-free,” and “pH-balanced” options. Earlier, health campaigns urged us to simply use soap. Now we need a chart to decide which one to use.
The Water Story
I vividly remember a cemented water tank in our community playfield. After playing, we drank water straight from the tap, with mud-soaked hands. We peeped into the tank, saw all kinds of floating things – and drank anyway. Nobody spoke of waterborne diseases.
Then came RO water, and now we debate whether RO strips essential minerals, lowers pH, affects bones, or whether groundwater is better. Courtesy: the problem of plenty.
From Malnutrition to Over-Analysis
We studied PEM (Protein Energy Malnutrition) in school – children fainting in assembly due to undernourishment. Today, we debate SIBO and SIFO – gut issues linked to excess food, supplements, and over-awareness.
Back then, my mother packed me meetha parantha or roti with sugar in my tiffin. That was a treat. Now, one spoon of sugar in a child’s lunch sparks a household debate. Festival sweets lie in the fridge for weeks and then get thrown out.
Parenting in the Age of Google
My first child was born in 2018. He maintained healthy weight because paediatricians back then were simpler, and Google “doctors” weren’t as influential. My second child, born two years ago, was underweight despite being active and healthy – thanks to a long list of do’s and don’ts that felt more like a printout from Google.
When I switched to a more traditional food routine, her weight normalized. Sometimes less advice is more health.
The Dairy Debate
Milk used to be sacred – literally and culturally. Every home had milk, curd, lassi, ghee. Now, dairy is under attack – inflammatory, hormonal, acidic. Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk have taken over, while real milk stands trial.
I still remember my school days at Sainik School Nagrota. We used to get medical slips from Mr. Rajjan, our nursing assistant, just to get the “milk and bread” prescription when we were unwell. Gobbling an entire loaf of white bread was normal.
Now, four types of bread lie untouched in our fridge – multigrain, brown, gluten-free, seeded – and we barely finish half a slice while debating maida and fibre.
Water – The New Controversy
Even water, the elixir of life, is now dissected. “Drink more water” was once common advice. Now people search: Can too much water damage kidneys? One article says stay hydrated; another warns of overhydration. We’re not confused due to lack of information – we’re confused because we have too much of it.
Information Overload and Anxiety
This is where accessibility becomes anxiety. Earlier, doctors referred to journals and conferences. Their advice had weight. Now, every Tom, Dick, and Harry – myself included – reads half an article on Google and acts like an honorary MBBS.
The problem isn’t searching – it’s the misinterpretation and overconfidence. One reads a line and forwards it as gospel: No bananas after 7 PM, No curd in monsoon, Soaked almonds cause bloating if you eat more than five. Who decides this?
When Fear Replaces Joy
Sadly, some in the medical profession have also been affected. Instead of calming patients, a few stir panic by focusing more on possible side effects than on overall wellbeing. Ironically, doctors who keep it simple are often sidelined, while those who dramatise every risk gain popularity.
The result? A generation terrified of food. Every bite is over-analysed. Every snack triggers guilt. We’ve traded joy for control – and lost both in the process.
Losing the Art of Just Living
Even mentally, this is exhausting. We want every meal to be “balanced,” every habit “healthy,” every decision “optimized.” But what happened to just living? Taking a walk without counting steps? Eating a paratha without remorse?
And here’s the twist: we’re living longer than ever. Despite all this chaos, our life expectancy is nearly 70. People with diabetes, heart conditions, and high BP are living full lives – for decades. That’s no small achievement.
So, What Do We Really Want?
We’ve overcome scarcity – but not yet mastered abundance. Surrounded by foods, advice, gadgets, diets, hacks – we’ve forgotten the joy of simply eating and living.
Maybe we don’t need a new lifestyle. Maybe we just need to stop fearing the old one. Because if we’re still standing strong – imperfect but alive – at 70+, despite all our contradictions, we must be doing something right.
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