Email
Print
ShareDiabetes is generally thought to be a disease of the rich and conjures up visions of an urban, sedentary lifestyle. While that is true, the latest International Diabetes Federation's findings show rural India catching up with a little over 2.7 per cent of the population afflicted against 5.6 per cent in urban areas.
The findings show that unlike in the West, where adults generally develop diabetes in their 50s, here its onset is among those in their early 40s, when people are most productive. Indians are at a disadvantage when it comes to diabetes since they are thought to be genetically predisposed to it more than other races. This, according to experts, is because Indians have low body mass index and high upper body 'adiposity'. Added to this are bad dietary habits, compounded by lack of physical activity, especially in the cities, which make Indians easy victims for the disease.
Diabetes is making inroads among children too. Here, junk food and excessive intake of bottled and sugared soft drinks could be playing a role. Those who come from families of diabetes victims need to be doubly careful; for them, exercise becomes even more important so that they can at least control it. Without medication and care, a patient could suffer an early onset of blindness, kidney failure and heart disease.
An affluent, urban lifestyle is definitely a contributing factor, but that is no different from the conditions in more advanced countries. So what makes Indians--and indeed, South Asians--more susceptible to diabetes? Does the additional combination of traditional diets as well as genetic factors add up to a dangerous cocktail? This is where we need answers and solutions, because according to forecasts, the 33 million cases of diabetes that we have today will jump to 60 million by 2025, unless drastic interventions are made.
India has the dubious distinction of being on top of the list for just about every communicable and lifestyle disease. The pity of it all is that the lack of information may perhaps be the biggest killer. Indians may not even be aware that the lifestyle and diet they have been following for generations could be dangerous to their health. Our health minister, who is so passionate about eliminating life-threatening habits like smoking and paan-chewing, should now turn his gaze towards diseases that can be also controlled through lifestyle changes and education, such as diabetes.
