Devi Katel | The Bhutan Watch

Lifestyle Illness in Bhutan

by Devi Katel January 23, 2026

Over the past decade, Bhutan has experienced a marked rise in lifestyle-related health problems as traditional patterns of living give way to modern habits. This paper examines emerging non-communicable diseases and risk factors in Bhutan from ~2015–2025, drawing on government data, surveys, and academic studies. It reviews Bhutan’s traditional active, agrarian lifestyle and diet, then detail how rapid socio-economic development has altered lifestyles. Sedentary behaviour, processed diets, and other changes have led to increasing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The causes of these shifts – urbanisation, globalisation, and changing socio-cultural norms – are explored. The paper analyses the geographical distribution of lifestyle diseases and the age groups affected. Health expenditure trends are reviewed, showing growing government spending on non-communicable disease prevention and treatment. Read Full

GNH

Mental Health Among the Resettled Bhutanese

by Devi Katel January 26, 2024

The resettled Bhutanese, most specifically in the US, have widespread mental health issues. The trend has improved in the last couple of year, though. The issue is not completely absent in other countries where they have been resettled but due to the small population size, they receive less attention. There have been very few studies made on the cause of the issue to prescribe tentative solution. This article will look into the current situation of the mental health issues in the resettled communities and efforts made to address them. Read full