Late-night meals, caffeine hurting urban Indians' metabolic health: EYVA study

A large study on the metabolic health of urban Indians has revealed a worrying picture, with several everyday habits consistently harming people's health and lifestyle. The study was conducted by EYVA, a company that makes what it says is the world's first metabolic wellness tracker built on touch-sensing technology.

The report, titled "India Wellness Index 2026", examined more than 3.5 million anonymised health records from over 30,000 platform users. Among people found to have low wellness scores, certain habits were common: long sedentary commutes, eating heavy meals late at night, no physical activity after eating, late caffeine intake, and insufficient sleep.

According to the report, around 54 percent of people in the country eat dinner after 9 pm, a trend that is more pronounced in big cities. Mumbai has the latest dinner timings, with 64 percent of people eating after 9:30 pm, while people in Delhi eat the largest quantities of food. Those who ate late were found to have poorer sleep quality and higher than normal blood glucose levels the following morning.

EYVA founder and CEO Sunil Madhikatla said the habit of eating late at night is increasing across the country. A major reason is long commutes, but when even one working member of a household returns late, the entire family's mealtime shifts. He said eating a heavy meal late at night, combined with stress and caffeine, keeps the heart rate elevated through the night, leaving the body feeling less than fully refreshed the next morning, a condition he called a "metabolic hangover".

Significant differences were also seen across cities. In Mumbai, 52 percent of users rely on local trains or public transport for their daily commute, which means more walking, but crowding and stress during peak hours were linked to higher heart-rate-related indices. In Delhi-NCR, winter smog reduced outdoor physical activity by up to 30 percent, leading to more respiratory issues and a 6 to 9 percent drop in metabolic wellness scores.

In Bengaluru, 44 percent of working people endure long, sedentary commutes on working days, resulting in an 18 percent drop in their daily physical activity. However, 7 out of 10 people who spent time in parks and green spaces reported a more positive mood. In Hyderabad, 64 percent of working professionals eat dinner after 10 pm, which was linked to a recurring "metabolic hangover" pattern and disruptions in blood glucose levels and metabolism the next morning.

The report also found that even within the same family eating identical food, the effect on two people's bodies can differ, meaning a one-size-fits-all diet approach does not work for everyone. However, around 37 percent of users who took a short walk after eating saw their blood glucose levels controlled 12 to 16 percent better, along with improved sleep. Users who made small positive lifestyle changes saw their wellness scores improve by 8 to 12 percent within three months.