Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

“Avoid fat and junk foods”

— Photo: M. Moorthy

Sweet details: Visitors being told about the effects of diabetes at an exhibition in Tiruchi.

TIRUCHI: A perfect display at an exhibition on diabetes with an array of charts and placards, equipment and footwear is sure to create awareness among the people, particularly those afflicted with the complaint, about the best practices to be followed for maintaining a healthy sugar level in the body.

The exhibition, ‘Diabtex-2008’, organised by the IS Diabetes and Hypertension Centre and the ISNH Trust and currently in progress at the IS Nursing Home in the city, seeks not only to create an awareness among non-diabetics, but also instil a sense of confidence among those living with the problem on overcoming the effects of the ailment.

A row of self-explanatory charts on the clinical discovery of the ailment; causes of the disease, control measures for healthy sugar level; dos and don’ts a diabetic patient should follow formed the salient features of the exhibition.

No sooner a visitor starts reading the chart, than a team of women volunteers pitches in, explaining in simple terms the summary of the charts, with scientific clarity.

More interesting are two sets of dishes. Diet habits greatly contribute to normal health care of diabetes. They should avoid fat and junk foods and increase the intake of dishes rich in protein, vitamin, magnesium, zinc etc. To drive this point, excellent arrangements of favourable and unfavourable dishes have been made on the lines of ‘kolu’ steps, sensitising the patients to the right and wrong dishes.

A group of 20 students of Nutrition and Dietetics from the Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, led by lecturer M. V. Alli, explain in simple terms the energy content in various provisions. “In fact the students prepared green gram ‘payasam’ and distributed to the diabetic patients”, Prof. Alli said.

The objective of the exhibition which is open between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. till September 8 is to create awareness among the diabetics to lead a healthy life by constantly combating the disease, according to the Managing Director of the Centre, N.S. Prasad.

What was more worrying was the growing incidence of Type II diabetes among the people in the age-group of 20-30 years, mainly due to the increased intake of junk food.

Several cultural programmes, ‘patti mandram’ formed part of the exhibition. Patients felt free in getting their doubts clarified during the face-to-face programmes with doctors, he added.

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