Introduction

Currently, in modern society obesity is a vulnerable topic because of a sedentary lifestyle that has shifted toward where most adults are working in offices and sitting all 8–10 hours of worktime, which is the standard working time for most adults, making this problem worse. The lack of physical activity creates a dangerous energy disbalance. Sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets are driving global obesity epidemics that now affect almost a billion people worldwide, and over 390 million of them are children aged 5–19 years [3, p. 1]. A 2025 study found that while 65 % of Kazakh adults still follow a traditional diet, only 24 % consume enough vegetables, and their average BMI already falls in the overweight range, demonstrating that our ancestral plate must be rehabilitated, not merely preserved [1, p. 2]. As I learned from my biology lessons, this lifestyle may cause the accumulation of visceral fat, insulin resistance, and eventually metabolic syndrome. This topic stems directly from my reality as an NIS student: I sit for 7–8 hours during lessons, followed by homework and preparation for exams, resulting in roughly 10–12 hours of physical stillness. I look at my grandparents, who walked kilometers daily, and then look at my generation glued to screens. If this sedentary pattern defines my adolescence, I fear what chronic hypokinesia (deficiency in movement) will do to my body at age 60–70. This topic matters because it asks whether going back to our traditional plate can help, even if we cannot go back to our traditional lifestyle and sedentary behavior.

Literature review

Global obesity issue

Long working hours and sedentary behavior are consistently associated with obesity risk, but adherence to traditional dietary patterns may partially offset these metabolic consequences. People often skip proper meals or consume ultra-processed fast food and create a dangerous energy imbalance where more calories are consumed than burned [6, p. 1]. The benefits of traditional diets help to protect the health risk linked to modern office lifestyle. The health decline is more visible in the USA where an obesogenic environment promotes constant sitting and easy access to very caloric food. Over 70 % of adults are now measured as overweight or obese [5, p. 3]. However, traditional diets provide a strong defense. In 2024, data from 115,726 Korean adults were analyzed. They found that 33.3 % of men who consumed servings of kimchi daily had a lower chance of obesity. The beneficial bacteria discovered in their traditional fermentation product help the body burn energy, directly fighting the weight gain caused by long hours of sitting at a desk [4, p. 1–2]. Therefore, long work hours and sedentary office environments significantly vary the risk of metabolic syndrome.

The role of traditional food in Kazakhstan

Urbanization has changed how traditional meals are made and eaten by changing our cultural identity. Once they were essential fuel for a physically demanding life, but now they can contribute to metabolic problems. The problem is also spilling over to when a Kazakh eats. These meals create massive energy excess that the body simply cannot burn off. For example, traditional Kazakh main course beshbarmak, which contains boiled meat with thick noodles and rich broth, is eaten by an office worker who sits all day at work and at home. It is now consumed by some urban Kazakhs who assume traditional foods confer health benefits regardless of the activity level context in which they eat. These meals are often fed late at night, which then increases hunger and shifts gene expression toward fat storage, even when total calories are the same. Nationally, energy intake has reached a staggering 4156.67 kcal/day. It is nearly double the 2500 kcal recommended for a healthy sedentary adult [8, p. 5–6]. Hence, overeating these dishes with a high number of calories creates a serious metabolic health risk for today’s Kazakh adults without intense physical activity.

Lockal conditions that puch less traditional food

Nowadays, local students frequently consume street foods that are harmful for their health. The high cost of ingredients for traditional diets and busy study schedules result in a lack of time to cook for themselves. Almaty is one of the fastest-growing megalopolises in Kazakhstan, attracting students from all over the regions and countries. Political focus only on building dormitories for students does not cover what students might eat in the typical small dormitory kitchen [11, p. 1]. There are also minimal facilities to make traditional Kazakh cuisine. As an example, in Almaty horse meat costs over 4500 tg per kilogram, the highest in the country, making familiar food for students such as beshbarmak unaffordable with their scholarship [12, p. 1]. These ingredients price out of reach increase the consumption of street foods such as doner, sushi and burgers. These are nutritionally poor and become logical defaults for many students. In 2025, food availability, price, and taste influence food choice among urban areas, although this only applies to schools and does not extend to university students. Furthermore, sport infrastructure development projects are continued in Almaty while ignoring that students cannot exercise their way out of poor diets when traditional foods are inaccessible for most of them. Consequently, our traditional food is replaced with takeaway meals which have a bad impact on students’ digestive systems.

Aim

The purpose of this research work is to explore how traditional eating habits affect the metabolic health of modern adults. Especially those who work long hours and live sedentary lifestyles. The aim was to investigate the relationship between long working hours, sedentary lifestyles, and rising obesity rates. The study also examined whether traditional Kazakh foods could compensate for these negative metabolic effects. This includes examining how economic barriers, cultural traditions, and urbanization affect young adults’ ability to maintain traditional eating habits in modern society.

If adults start to control caloric intake and maintain active lifestyle then the benefits of traditional food will show lower metabolic syndrome risk compared to individuals consuming ultra-processed foods Therefore, in this research the main research questions were:

1. To what extent does adherence to traditional Kazakh foods (beshbarmak, koumiss, kurt) impact metabolic health compared to consumption of ultra-processed foods?
2. How high prices for food affect our choice in eating traditional food?
3. How do culture habits and eating late affect our metabolism and learning to be overweight?
4. Does eating traditional foods become risky for those who live a sedentary lifestyle?

The outcome of this research was intended to inform public health policy, improve access, and maintain the effect of sedentary lifestyles in current students' lives significantly modifies the health impact of traditional food. The broader goal is to preserve Kazakh food culture by adapting traditional diets without abandoning them and to fit modern sedentary lives.

Methods

The secondary research for this issue was written by using a combination of reliable sources. These sources increase neutrality, verifiability and reputation. Trusted organizations such as the World Health Organization, OECD and other researchers’ articles were used. They all are checked by RAVEN. These sources are highly reliable because they provide statistical data about obesity, physical activity and public health trends. These sources are useful for understanding the global problem of sedentary lifestyles and metabolic risks. Among 10 resources that were used, the numerous memorable ones include the study by Ming Jia which provides data about Kazakhstan, highly useful for linking global to the local issue of Kazakh diets. However, some sources such as news articles (Qazinform, Eurasian Star) are less reliable academically, but good at showing food prices and student living conditions. Hence, the sources provide argumentative evidence for my research and connect with relevant information.

To address the research aim, this study formulated four research questions, consisting of two quantitative and two qualitative questions. For the survey, the question «How do high prices for food affect our choice in eating traditional food?» is quantitative and was distributed to approximately 50 people. This method compared 2 groups of modern adults who frequently and rarely consume traditional food due to high prices. It also measured variables such as consumption of fast food. The survey allowed collection of a large amount of measurable data. It is effective and objective for comparison. This method helped determine whether high prices reduce adherence to traditional diets. It also directly connects with how modern adults shift to ultra-processed foods because ingredients have become too expensive.

Regarding interviews, the question «Does eating traditional foods become dangerous for those who live a sedentary lifestyle?» was asked to 3 professional people in the medical sphere. Additionally, it compared the effects of food for those who live an active lifestyle and a sedentary lifestyle. Interviews provide a detailed professional viewpoint. They help explain information that cannot be measured only by numbers. This question helped understand whether traditional foods are always healthy or might become risky in modern conditions. It shows that even traditional diets may lead to metabolic problems when physical activity is low. Consequently, two methods were used to provide and answer my research questions.

Results

51 adults participated in the survey, and it included 13 questions. It includes multiple-choice questions and to conclude, overall ideas have open-ended questions. Regarding age, the largest part was 41–50 years old with 33,3 %. It followed by 21–30 age groups with 29,4 % and 31–40 age groups almost 25,5 % of them. About daily physical activity, the most chose the option moderated about 45,1 %, while 35,3 % said they were low active during the day. Looking closely at the skipping meal due to work or study, 17,6 % reported doing so frequently, while 29,4 % of them sometimes. Participants were asked about how often they consume traditional Kazakh food in a week such as Beshbarmak, and the most proportion chose once a week, while 19,6 % several times a week. However, 31,4 % eat traditional Kazakh food only 2–3 times a month. About the health benefits of fermented foods like kymyz and kurt, almost 70.6 % agreed that they are beneficial. In contrast, for the about feeling themselves after eating a heavy traditional meal like Beshbarmak over 27 % answered they feel heavier.

When asked the effect of the price of traditional ingredients affects their choices, 29,4 % answered it often affects and 41,2 % answered sometimes. For the following question, 35,3 % showed that cost has a significant impact on meal planning. The last time participants chose convenience food, the common answer was lack of time (45,1 %), work schedule (35,3 %), and convenience (35,3 %). Mostly they mentioned factors such as lack of time due to work or study. For example, «Since I started working, I don’t have time to cook at home. I mostly buy food» or «Work takes most of the day, so nutrition has become less healthy». For the last question, around 85 % answered yes and explained it as «The pace of modern life is very fast, so people do not have time to preserve traditions».

According to the answer from dietitian, Ernazarova Dilyara Serikbaevna, who has 4 years of experience in this field, students and working adults eat their last meal between 7pm and 11pm. It depends on how busy they are. Those who eat their meal between 8–11pm are overcrowded with work or study and it is becoming mean reasons of why people usually eat late. Based on specialists, the older generation eats earlier but nowadays eating on time and not skipping has become as good as gold (Q1). She said yes, timing has clearly shifted later mainly due to urbanization and frequent patterns of our life and usage of technology (Q2).

The effect of eating late has not been shown or has not changed. However, research shows clear trends that late eating is linked to more hunger, less fat burning, and more calories. Some studies found that late eaters burned calories about 10 % slower and stored more fat. She also mentioned that short term effects are slow, but long-term effects increase the metabolic problems (Q3). In addition, she said our grandparents led an active lifestyle and rarely ate snacks. Although, modern people eat ultraprecise and fast food late at night (Q4). For the question about all traditional food healthy she answered that it is no and depends. Traditional foods can be healthy because they contain whole and less processed foods; however, some are high in fat or salt (Q5).

Discussion

The results confirmed the hypothesis that traditional food carries metabolic benefits. However, only when a person eating them is living an active lifestyle. What the data revealed is that most participants are not. Around 36 % described their daily activity as low and over 45 % reported that they are skipping meals due to work or study. It shows that traditional diets cannot fully protect metabolic health.

One of the more common findings was about food cost. Over 40 % of participants said prices sometimes limit their access to traditional ingredients, and 35.3 % said it directly shapes their weekly meal planning. Beshbarmak is not cheap to make because in Almaty meat costs over 4500tg per kg, which is the highest in the country. For student living on a scholarship, it is hard to buy. That is why they prefer fast food. It happens not because students prefer these options, but because they are affordable and fast. The context and introduction were written using 12 sources. 6 of them were primary research and some of them from World health organizations and included articles about local issues.

The interview with the dietitian added a useful perspective. She confirmed that late eating (9–11pm) has become the norm for working adults and students. Beshbarmak eaten at 10pm by someone who sat at a desk all day is a metabolic problem. This was a perspective I had not fully considered before the research. I had thought cultural foods were inherently protective. The expert made clear that timing and lifestyle context change everything. This influenced my personal perspective as an NIS student. I learned my 10–12 hours of stillness require food that is rehabilitated, not just preserved.

There are many weaknesses of study. The 51 participants are too small to make accurate claims. It will be beneficial for further research if it is included in more public answers of younger people because it skewed toward 41–50 year olds (33.3 %). It cannot reliably conclude to younger groups whose metabolic responses may be different. I would increase sample to at least 150 participants and include simple physical measurement that will relying entirely on self-reported answers. Self reported physical activity might be biased by the opinions of people. Also, interviews with only one person might be biased. Not enough primary research about Kazakhstan. The research includes 11 questions out of 13 questions. Other 2 questions become useless during writing.

Preserving traditional food in the Kazakhstan is not just about getting people to cook more at home. It seem like we need to make those old ingredients cheaper so everyone can afford them. That is why schools and governments should influence sport into younger generation and make it mandatory. The next example, walking or doing some stretching 5 min after 30min of work. It is also helpful to work with loaded adults, and it should allow and adapt by companies. Future research should focus on how different parts of traditional diets and sedentary behavior affect health. Additionally, TED Talk and digital guide to raise knowlage about the economic paradox of traditional eating, presenting for students.

Conclusion

Most people consider about benefits of fermentation food, however according to the survey they feel heavy, while primary research show kimchi help only if diet is balanced despite traditional or not. Therefore, it cannot be said traditional food better than ultra proceeded ones even if people will not control calories and increase activity level. Results of the survey shows that price of meal and important ingredients affect the choice, and according to the local articles the cost of meat growth to the 4500 tg per kg which then pouches students to consume more street food. According to the dietarian, adults who work eat their last meal at 8–11pm, which creates problems with the digestion system and lead to obesity risk. Traditional food might become risky if people keep a low active lifestyle and the number of office planktons are incredibly high in the whole world. Hence, traditional high caloric foods make this problem worse and metabolic dangerous.

There are people who believe in the benefits of fermented food, however some individuals feel heavy after traditional meals. This contradiction is confirmed by secondary research, and there are no benefits or drawbacks to the traditional food. The level of activity and quantity of calories affect the metabolic. In addition, high consumption of energy and low physically active life form high obesity rates and the other health issues. The price of food also affects food preferences, and it was confirmed by open ended questions. Urban adults eat their meal around 8 to 11 pm which is not the appropriate time for food, that can lead to overeating habit at night and double the recommended calories per day to about 4100kkal. Over the survey and interview was dedicated that traditional food is harmful when you keep sedentary lifestyle, because these foods contain high calory income but slow outcome. Additionally, by comparing the method that was used they are interview and survey and context section, there was confirmed some information about late eating habits, creation of energy imbalance.

Overall, traditional foods cannot guarantee metabolic health or harm it. Majority of adults said about low daily activity, and national calorie intake is far above recommended levels. Traditional Kazakh dishes currently create metabolic risk for modern people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, despite cultural value. If the habit of eating late and keeping settled lifestyle continue in the long term, the future generation will experience health issues before reaching adulthood.

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