Regular exercise, disciplined lifestyle and stress-free environment were some of the effective ways to keep away from diabetes.
This was the expert advice given by doctors who participated in large numbers at The Hindu-Apollo Health Walk held on the beach road in the city on the occasion of World Diabetes Day on Saturday morning.
The event, jointly organised by the Visakhapatnam edition of The Hindu and Apollo Hospitals in the city, was flagged off by Municipal Commissioner B. Sridhar.
It was aimed at creating awareness on diabetes by targeting the morning walkers and general public in the city. Sporting white t-shirts and carrying placards, the large gathering of people who participated in the health walk generated lot of curiosity among the regular morning walkers.
Free test
The walk commenced from the Kali temple on the beach road and culminated at YMCA where free random blood sugar test for the participants of the health walk was conducted by Apollo Hospitals, in coordination with their pharmacies.
International Diabetes Federation and WHO together started observing World Diabetes Day on November 14 to mark the birth anniversary of Federick Banting, who along with Charles Best was instrumental in the discovery of insulin, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients in 1922.
WHO estimate
WHO estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, going by the 2005 figures. The number is likely to be more than double by 2030 A.D. without intervention.
“Diabetes affects people of all age group. Stress and irregular dietary habits are the main causes of diabetes apart from genetic factors,” said Dr. P.V. Naresh Kumar, chief cardio-thoracic surgeon of Apollo Hospital.
He said that the disease affects body organs at the microscopic level and has to be aggressively controlled. Every individual should follow a regular exercise regime, he added.
