'25pc people may be diabetic by 2025'

Source: The News

Date: November 15, 2010

MEDICAL experts have underlined the fact that diabetes is on the rise in Pakistan due to excessive use of sugar and lack of facilities to promote healthy activities, particularly in big cities of the country.

“Diabetes is expected to affect up to 25 percent of the population by 2025 if urgent preventive measures are not adopted by the people and government,” said Prof Dr Javed Akram, President Diabetes Pakistan and Principal of Allama Iqbal Medical College/Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, while addressing a seminar on “Diabetes - How to Prevent It?” held in connection with the World Diabetes Day 2010 by Mir Khalilur Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) here at Alhamra Hall-II on Sunday. Earlier, in connection with World Diabetes Day, Diabetes Pakistan President Prof Javed Akram led a walk earlier on Saturday night from Badshahi Mosque to Minar-e-Pakistan to create awareness regarding diabetes and its devastating effects on the health of people. Later, the participants, comprising doctors, journalists, public including members of Hindu and Sikh communities, lit Minar-e-Pakistan in blue light to highlight the issue of diabetes with a view to preventing the disease.
Prof Javed Akram said the use of crystal sugar in Bangladesh was just about 15 percent of the commodity usage in Pakistan and explained that the use of sugar in Pakistan was around 40,000 metric tonne per week as against 4,000 metric tonne per week in Bangladesh, which was believed to be a major factor in rising the trend of diabetes cases among Pakistanis. Besides, he said, there were hardly any facilities to promote healthy activities as public parks and playgrounds were fast vanishing to give way to multi-storey plazas whereas parks and clubs were promoting unhealthy activities like Sheesha (flavoured smoking in a decorative Hukkah) containing ingredients such as cocaine, heroine, charas and other harmful drugs, therefore leaving little room for younger generation to indulge in health activities of walk, exercise, sports, etc. He identified the National Bank Park near Kalma Chowk and restaurants around Qaddafi Stadium as the main hubs of Sheesha smoking. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Pervaiz Rasheed also emphasised the need to minimise the use of sugar to prevent diabetes, which would also help resolve the ongoing sugar crisis in the country. He said the government should spend resources on controlling the prices of healthy food instead of sugar and promote healthy activities in public parks and encourage sports activities by allocating playgrounds. He promised to give suggestion to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to adopt steps such as reducing the use of sugar among the public and providing facilities for sports and other such activities to the public to prevent diabetes.

For more details: http://www.thenews.com.pk/15-11-2010/lahore/15661.htm