By Dr Aijaz Ilmi

You wake up tired. Not “I need another hour of sleep” tired. The heavier kind. You get through college, work or your day, but by afternoon your brain feels foggy, your energy disappears and you start wondering: Why am I exhausted when I’m still so young?

You are not necessarily lazy. And it may not be just stress.

A community health screening of more than 1,000 people under 30 in Delhi-NCR, conducted as part of Pacific OneHealth’s Total Metabolic Wellness Study 2026, found that nearly one in four young adults showed signs of abnormal body weight, while a significant proportion had elevated visceral fat—fat stored around the internal organs.

And here is the uncomfortable part: you may look perfectly slim and still carry it.

That is because visceral fat does not always show up in the mirror or on the weighing scale. It can build quietly, alongside long hours of sitting, irregular meals, less physical activity, poor sleep and constant stress.

The study found an average body-fat percentage of 14.5% among Gen Z participants. Rather than viewing that number as a verdict on an individual’s health, it is better understood as a reminder that body weight alone does not tell the full story.

The mistake we make is waiting for symptoms that feel serious before we think about metabolic health. People may notice fatigue, poor concentration or changes in how their body feels, but those symptoms can have many causes. The important thing is not to guess—it is to understand what is happening early.

That distinction matters.

Feeling tired does not automatically mean you have a metabolic problem. Bloating does not automatically mean visceral fat. And being thin does not automatically mean you are metabolically healthy.

So, what should a 20-something actually do?

Don’t panic. Get curious about your health.

A more complete assessment can look beyond BMI and body weight to include body composition and visceral fat, alongside other relevant health indicators. That can provide a fuller picture of what is happening inside the body.

And there is a bigger reason to pay attention now.

At 23, you are not supposed to be thinking about what your 45-year-old self will look like.

But your 45-year-old self is being shaped, quietly, by what you do at 23.

The hours you spend sitting. The food you eat when you’re too busy to think. The sleep you keep postponing. The stress you keep normalising.

None of these may feel dramatic today.

Together, they can become a pattern.

So, the next time you say, “I’m just tired,” don’t immediately dismiss it—and don’t immediately diagnose it either.

Listen to your body. Ask better questions. Check what matters.

Because being young is not a reason to ignore your health.

It is your biggest opportunity to protect it.

(The author is Head of Preventive & Metabolic Health at Pacific OneHealth, New Delhi.)