A few months ago, I treated a 23-year-old college student from Delhi, who had never smoked or consumed tobacco, for oral cancer. She came to us with what appeared to be a small ulcer on the side of her tongue, something she believed had been caused by accidentally biting herself during a hurried meal. Since it caused only mild discomfort initially, she ignored it for nearly six weeks, assuming it would heal on its own. A biopsy confirmed what she least expected: early-stage cancer of the tongue.

During consultation, we found out that her meals were irregular; she often skipped them because of academic pressures. She had replaced fresh fruits and balanced home-cooked food with packaged snacks, sugary beverages and long gaps without proper nutrition.…