“I was told it is difficult to live with diabetes. It could also be genetically transferred and those who had a family history of the disorder had reasons to worry, “said 28-year-old V. Jayanthi, as she went through the pamphlet distributed at the awareness campaign conducted by Coimbatore Diabetes Foundation and The Hindu on World Diabetes Day (November14).
When queried, most people seemed to be aware of the genetic factors and common symptoms, but very few had a clear understanding of its types, risks, complications and the need for screening and early detection.
According to Dr. V. Sekar, founder and chief consultant diabetologist at the Coimbatore Diabetes Foundation, only around 10-15 per cent of people were aware of diabetes. There was very little awareness even about health indicators such as body mass index (BMI).
As many as 300 people took part in the cycle rally and road show, conducted as part of the campaign to create awareness on diabetes. P. Murugesa Bhoopathi, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, flagged off the rally at Power House, Tatabad.
Around 75 patients from the Coimbatore Diabetes Foundation and 200 students from Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, took part in the rally. S. Thangavelu, chairman of the college, also participated.
Volunteers from The Hindu distributed free copies of the newspaper along with pamphlets giving information on caloric value of food items.
According to Dr. Sekar, from 2009 to 2013, World Diabetes Day has been centred on the theme ‘Diabetes Education and Prevention'. Unhealthy diet was one major cause of the disorder. People focused on reducing the quantity of food but were unaware of the caloric value of food items they consumed. “That was why we decided to focus on creating awareness among the public about this”, he said.
Dr. Sekar said that fast food was rich in calories and low in nutritional value whereas fruits and vegetables gave sufficient nutrients free of excess calories. A single paratha would add 310 calories while one plate of paneer butter masala contained 750 calories. Consuming an excess of 200 to 300 calories a day could add up to 9,000 calories a month which resulted in an increase of one kilogram in body weight. Glycaemic index, which measured the effect of carbohydrates in different food items on blood sugar level, was also important.
Around 16-18 per cent of the population in the city suffered from diabetes, Dr. Sekhar said and added that modification in lifestyle was the best way to fight it.
Walking 5 km a day and a healthy diet would keep diseases away. Refrigerated food deprived it of nutritional value. Taking preserved and pre-cooked food could do more harm than good to the body, he added.
Yearly check-up to detect blood sugar and cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight was important. Glycohaemoglobin or HbA1c test to detect long-term blood sugar level would give more accurate results, Dr. Sekar said.
In Tirupur, a rally was taken out by Lotus Eye Hospital and Rotary Club of Gandhinagar to convey the message of a good lifestyle management to prevent metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
Various organisations such as Lions Clubs conducted free blood sugar check-ups for the public across the city.
