World Diabetes Day: Health experts urge people to take up physical activities
This year’s theme was ‘Keeps Eyes on Diabetes’
People participate in awareness walk to mark World Diabetes Day. PHOTO: INP
LAHORE:
People should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to prevent diabetes, said Diabetic Association of Pakistan Secretary General Professor A Samad Shera on Monday.
While speaking to The Express Tribune in connection with World Diabetes Day marked on November 14 (Monday) across the world, he said that in Pakistan there was a need for more open spaces.
He added that keeping in view the sharp rise in the disease, the government should take steps to provide facilities to the public to encourage them to take part in physical activities such as jogging and walking. This year’s theme was ‘Keeps Eyes on Diabetes’.
Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating and costly disease, he said, adding World Diabetes Day provides us the opportunity to improve healthcare facilities for millions of people living with the disease in the country. The government should do more to prevent the disease as more people are at the risk of developing the disease.
He said currently there were 415 million people living with the disease worldwide. By 2040, the number will increase to 642 million. Every six seconds, a person dies from diabetes or its related complications.
Over seven million people are suffering from diabetes in the country while another seven million are on the verge of developing the disease if no preventive measures are taken. It is estimated that the number of diabetic people in Pakistan may reach 14.4m by 2040.
Mayo Hospital’s Department of Medicine Dr Irshad Hussain Qureshi said that in this era of technology, most people prefer watching TV, using the internet and mobile phones over physical activities, which causes many health issues. “If we adopt a healthy lifestyle and prevent obesity we can prevent diabetes as well,” he cautioned.
Services Hospital’s Diabetes Management Centre head Prof Khadija Irfan Khawaja says one million people in Lahore alone suffer from diabetes and the urban population has a higher ratio of disease than the rural population.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2016.
People should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to prevent diabetes, said Diabetic Association of Pakistan Secretary General Professor A Samad Shera on Monday.
While speaking to The Express Tribune in connection with World Diabetes Day marked on November 14 (Monday) across the world, he said that in Pakistan there was a need for more open spaces.
He added that keeping in view the sharp rise in the disease, the government should take steps to provide facilities to the public to encourage them to take part in physical activities such as jogging and walking. This year’s theme was ‘Keeps Eyes on Diabetes’.
Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating and costly disease, he said, adding World Diabetes Day provides us the opportunity to improve healthcare facilities for millions of people living with the disease in the country. The government should do more to prevent the disease as more people are at the risk of developing the disease.
He said currently there were 415 million people living with the disease worldwide. By 2040, the number will increase to 642 million. Every six seconds, a person dies from diabetes or its related complications.
Over seven million people are suffering from diabetes in the country while another seven million are on the verge of developing the disease if no preventive measures are taken. It is estimated that the number of diabetic people in Pakistan may reach 14.4m by 2040.
Mayo Hospital’s Department of Medicine Dr Irshad Hussain Qureshi said that in this era of technology, most people prefer watching TV, using the internet and mobile phones over physical activities, which causes many health issues. “If we adopt a healthy lifestyle and prevent obesity we can prevent diabetes as well,” he cautioned.
Services Hospital’s Diabetes Management Centre head Prof Khadija Irfan Khawaja says one million people in Lahore alone suffer from diabetes and the urban population has a higher ratio of disease than the rural population.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2016.