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Health & Medicine
Mahesh

25/11/24 08:52 AM IST

How should India tackle diabetes load?

In News
  • According to the study, the total number of adults living with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes in the world has surpassed 800 million — over four times the total number in 1990.
Major findings
  • The Lancet study, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), along with the World Health Organization (WHO), used data from over 140 million people (18+ years) culled from more than 1,000 studies in different countries.
  • They estimated trends from 1990 to 2022 in diabetes prevalence and treatment for 200 countries and territories.
  • Whether 100 million or 200 million, the fact remains that India already has a large number of people requiring treatment for their diabetes, and who, as a consequence are prone to several life-threatening complications involving the heart, eyes, kidneys, and peripheral nervous system.
  • Quibbling over numbers apart, the Lancet study must be seen as yet another reminder that in India, diabetes has grown — and is growing — across populations, and efforts should be made on a warfooting to both prevent diabetes and treat persons with the condition. 
Preventive measures
  • The Lancet paper identifies obesity and poor diets as important drivers of the rise in Type 2 diabetes rates.
  • Diabetes rate was either already high or increased more in some of the regions where obesity was or became prevalent between 1990 and 2022, compared to many high-income countries, especially those in the Pacific and western Europe, where, in general, obesity and diabetes rates did not rise or rose by a relatively small amount.
  • The writing is on the wall: a measure of mindful eating and exercising have a proven effect in preventing diabetes, and controlling blood sugar levels.
  • The challenge for governments, however, is to make it possible for people to exercise these healthy choices, and for people to demand it of their rulers.
  • We need to see more ambitious policies that restrict unhealthy foods, make healthy foods affordable.
  • Opportunities to exercise must be ensured, besides promoting safe places for walking and exercising, including access to public parks and fitness centres, subsidies provided for healthy foods and free, healthy school meals.
Source- The Hindu

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