Classes have just ended. A group of students crowds around a table, sharing a plate of momos and fries. One student grabs a chilled soft drink before rushing to his next lecture. Another has been in the library since morning and is finally having his first proper meal of the day. Someone else is running on coffee after a late night of studying.Nobody at the table is thinking about blood sugar. Why would they? They are young, busy and, as they see it, healthy. But this is precisely where the conversation around diabetes needs to begin.Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being recognised in younger adults, although age alone does not determine risk. Genetics, family history, excess body weight, particularly abdominal fat, physical inactivity and other metabolic factors can all contribute. Lifestyle patterns can influence this risk, but they do not operate in isolation.Missing breakfast on a busy morning or eating a burger after class does not cause diabetes. Rather, a sustained pattern of the same poor diet, inactivity, inadequate sleep and weight gain can contribute to insulin resistance and increase risk in someone who is susceptible.And not all diabetes is the same. Type 1 diabetes, which can also occur in children and young adults, is an autoimmune condition and is not caused by eating sugar or having an unhealthy lifestyle.The college timetable can work against healthy eatingA student may leave home without breakfast, attend back-to-back lectures, postpone lunch until mid-afternoon and then compensate with whatever is fastest at the canteen. Hostel life can add another layer: instant noodles, biscuits, fried snacks, sweetened beverages and late-night food are often more accessible than a balanced meal.Students don’t need a complicated diet plan. A little preparation can make a difference. A fruit, handful of nuts, roasted chana, boiled eggs, curd, sundal (boiled legumes) or a homemade sandwich can be useful when classes run into meal times.Story continues below this adAt the canteen, the goal is equally simple: look for some combination of protein, vegetables or other fibre-rich foods and a sensible portion of carbohydrate, rather than making fried snacks the main meal every day.Don’t ban the pizza, look at the patternThere is little value in telling a 20-year-old that college life must become a catalogue of forbidden foods. Pizza with friends, a burger after a long day, dessert at a birthday celebration or a plate of noodles during a hostel movie night can all have a place in a balanced lifestyle.The bigger issue is frequency. When calorie-dense, highly processed foods, sweets and refined carbohydrates become everyday staples, they can make it easier to consume more energy than the body needs and, over time, contribute to unhealthy weight gain and metabolic problems.Sugary drinks deserve particular attention. Soft drinks, sweetened packaged beverages and many energy drinks can contain considerable amounts of added sugar while doing little to satisfy hunger. Water, unsweetened beverages and options such as unsweetened or lightly salted buttermilk can be better everyday choices.Story continues below this adThe hidden problem: Hours of sittingFor many students, physical activity is squeezed into the margins of the day. There may be an hour of lectures, followed by two hours of studying, another few hours on a laptop, and then an evening spent scrolling through a phone. Even students who exercise occasionally can spend much of the remaining day sitting.Regular exercise remains important, but so does breaking up prolonged sedentary time. Walking between classes, taking the stairs when practical, standing up during study breaks, walking while talking on the phone or taking a short walk after meals are simple ways of adding movement to a crowded timetable.A student who currently does very little does not need to achieve the target of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Or vigorous activity, alongside muscle-strengthening activity, at least two days a week. Building up gradually is a perfectly sensible place to start.The exam-week trapSleep gets pushed aside. Meals become irregular. Coffee becomes a food group. Some students turn to energy drinks to survive another night of revision.Story continues below this adIt may feel productive in the short term, but chronic sleep deprivation is not benign. Poor or inadequate sleep can influence appetite, stress hormones, insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation. It can also leave people more likely to reach for high-calorie foods and less likely to exercise the next day.A reasonably consistent sleep schedule, sensible caffeine use and short breaks during long study sessions are realistic goals, even during demanding academic periods.Who should pay particular attention?Not every young person needs to worry about diabetes screening simply because they are in college. However, some young adults have a higher risk and should discuss it with a healthcare professional.That includes people with a strong family history of diabetes, excess weight or abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol or triglycerides, physical inactivity or certain metabolic or hormonal conditions. A history of gestational diabetes is also an important risk factor. Screening should be based on individual risk and clinical guidance rather than anxiety.Story continues below this adOne of the most important things for young adults to understand is that high blood sugar does not always announce itself. Some people may develop increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, unusual fatigue, blurred vision or recurrent infections. Others may have few noticeable symptoms.That is why people at increased risk should not wait for symptoms before discussing screening with a healthcare professional. Tests such as fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c can be used to assess blood glucose, depending on the clinical situation. The more useful thought is: What does most of my week look like?(Dr Mohan is chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai)