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Mumbai: The promise of groceries in ten minutes and late-night food at your doorstep has made instant delivery apps indispensable to urban life. But behind the convenience lies a growing concern, are these platforms silently eroding our health and resilience? Experts believe they are, and the warning signs are already visible among young adults and Gen Z.
Young Adults Face Rising Heart Risks
Cardiologists are seeing younger patients with lifestyle-related conditions once associated with middle age. Dr Sandeep Rane, a renowned Mumbai-based cardiologist, explained that physical inactivity is a key factor. “One of the most important things for longevity is activity. In places like Japan, where people live past 100, the common factor is constant movement. They garden, walk, shop, cook. Today, young adults in cities are skipping even the short walk to a store. They are becoming couch potatoes,” he said. The shift towards sedentary living, he warned, combined with calorie-rich convenience food, is fuelling early obesity, cholesterol issues and even heart attacks in people in their 20s and 30s.
Yet, the problem is not just physical. Psychiatrists caution that the culture of instant gratification, reinforced by food and grocery apps, is subtly reshaping behaviour. “It may start with food apps but soon spreads into other aspects, impatience in relationships, irritability with family, restlessness when things don’t arrive fast enough,” said Dr Harish Shetty. He described how many young professionals have allowed apps to become “house help, grocer, gas stove and steward—all in one,” reducing the need to engage in small but meaningful daily activities. “Going to the market, choosing vegetables, chatting with acquaintances, all of that is healing and empowering. We are losing those moments of connection,” he added.
Psychologists are seeing the mental toll in their practice rooms. Consulting psychologist Khushnaaz Noras said the reliance on instant delivery is making young adults less resilient and more anxious. “The mind starts expecting life itself to be as fast and effortless as a ten-minute grocery delivery. But real life doesn’t work that way. When reality lags behind expectation, it breeds dissatisfaction and restlessness,” she said. Some of her clients even obsessively track delivery agents, unable to tolerate minor delays.
Food Apps Affect Sleep, Mood
The consequences, she explained, stretch into sleep, mood and emotional stability. “Late-night ordering disrupts circadian rhythm and serotonin, which regulates mood, memory and focus. That’s why we see procrastination, poor concentration and irritability,” she said. The growing dependence on apps, she warned, is also reducing face-to-face social interactions, leading to a preference for texting over meeting, and in some cases, emotional isolation.
For Dr Shetty, the warning signs are already visible, young people glued to their phones, skipping evening walks, refusing social invitations, and gaining weight while spending recklessly on junk food. Noras echoed that late-night food ordering, “mood eating” and poor sleep hygiene are creating a quick-fix generation with stunted coping skills.
Small Changes, Big Health Gains
Despite these concerns, experts say it is possible to strike a balance. Small behavioural changes—like uninstalling apps, cooking simple meals, walking to the local grocer, or fixing a healthy sleep routine, can undo much of the damage. “Do not make food your mood manager,” advised Noras. Dr Rane offered a simpler reminder, “Longevity is not about how fast life comes to you, it’s about how often you move through life yourself.”
As India embraces the convenience economy, health experts are urging young adults to pause and reflect. Convenience, they stress, should be an aid, not a way of life.
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