INDIA: Diabetes - ‘Sedantary Lifestyle Is The Biggest Villain’

MUMBAI, Maharashtra (DNAIndia), November 13, 2007: Type-1 diabetes is usually diagnosed among children or young adults, and is caused when the pancreas no longer produce insulin because the body’s immune system has malfunctioned and attacked the cells that are responsible for insulin production. Incidence of type-1 diabetes is growing by 3 per cent annually in children and adolescents and at an alarming 5 per cent per year among pre-school children. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 years of age develop Type-1 diabetes each year (almost 200 children a day). The diabetics are growing alarmingly in children and adolescents and the implications become more life-threatening owing to their young age and vulnerability to infections. There is always a danger of mis-diagnosis that results in late detection of the disease. Type-2 diabetes on the other hand is a condition resulting from high blood sugar. It is normally found among obese people over the age of 40. “However, what I find alarming is that nowadays, even obese children as young as eight or nine years old, go on to develop Type-2 diabetes at that age,” said diabetologist Dr Pradeep Gadge. According to Dr Gadge, increasing sedentary urban lifestyle is the biggest villain, causing diabetes among Indians, regardless of age. “I’ve noticed that diabetes patients are particular about taking tablets regularly, however, when it comes to diet and exercise, they are very careless. Due to this, the main culprit obesity is never successfully tackled,” said Gadge. Dr Shashank Joshi, an endocrinologist with Lilavati Hospital, has another name for the problem. “I call it ‘affluenza’, a majority of diabetes patients are well off, have sedentary jobs and splurge on junk food. In fact, diabetes is on the rise even among the rural population, primarily because people in villages too are adopting a sedentary lifestyle,” said Dr Joshi. “Adding to our woes is the fact that we have bad genes - we are genetically predisposed to diabetes,” he said. “Diabetologists classify Indians as ‘thin-fat’ - thin by stature but fat because we have a tendency to accumulate abdominal fat,” said Dr Joshi. According to research, Indians have 33 percent of fat in their bodies. However, endocrinologists have suggest simple solutions to tackle diabetes: “Eat less, eat right and eat on time,” said Dr Joshi. “Sleep on time, work while you work and play while you play,” added Dr Gadge. (Endocrinologist with Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai) © 2005-2007 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd.