Prevention of diabetes through lifestyle management, especially physical activity, came to the fore at World Diabetes Day celebrations on Saturday. Doctors and students took out a walk to create awareness of diabetes and reiterated the need for physical activity.
Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post Graduate Institute (IGGGH and PGI) along with Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) lined up a number of programmes to mark the day.
According to the latest edition of Diabetes Atlas published in October, India has 50.8 million diabetics. This is projected to increase to 87 million by 2030, especially among young people, Ashok Kumar Das, Medical Superintendent of JIPMER, said.
He called for intervention at the school-level, workplace and community. “We should promote healthy diet and physical activity among schoolchildren. At workplace, we should emphasise the need to avoid starchy food and energy dense food. A multi-sectoral approach is need for community-level intervention,” he said.
Medical Superintendent of IGGGH and PGI V. Govindaraj said the prevalence of diabetes in rural Puducherry has increased from two per cent in 1980 to about 20 per cent.
“South Indians are more prone to diabetes due to diet pattern. Walking everyday for at least 30 minutes will help a lot. The thrust is on lifestyle management and preventing obesity,” he said.
He stressed on the need for frequent check-up, especially if there is a family history of diabetes. Director of Health Dilip Kumar Baliga were present. The Hindu