UAE | General
Residents participate in World Diabetes Day activities at Safa Park
Around 500 residents participated in a "Family Activity Day" to observe World Diabetes Day at Al Safa Park here on Friday.
- By Syed Bilal Shafi, Staff Reporter
- Published: 13:35 November 14, 2008
- The day helped bring about awareness amongst youngsters too.
- Image Credit: K.K Ajub/Gulf News
Dubai: Around 500 residents participated in a "Family Activity Day" to observe World Diabetes Day at Al Safa Park here on Friday.
Organised by the Emirates Diabetes Society, in association with Sanofi-aventis Pharmaceuticals, the event titled "Your Health Matters" aimed at raising awareness on the rising prevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.
The event also aimed at educating people on the risk factors leading to the disease.
The event started off with a 1km walkathon, followed by exercise sessions led by members of Fitness First, a stay-fit institute. It also included children's activities such as face painting, live performances and a game of football.
The participants had the opportunity to get their blood pressure and glucose levels checked.
Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Abdul Razzaq Al Madani, chairman of Emirates Diabetes Society, said: "Around 280 million people around the world are suffering from diabetes and the UAE ranks as the second-highest country in the world in terms of prevalence of this disease."
Figures indicate that 20 per cent or 860,000 people in the UAE suffer from diabetes. Al Madani said: "Early diagnosis and early education are crucial to help reduce complications and save lives.
"The healthcare community, educators, parents and guardians must join forces to help people with diabetes and prevent the condition in those at risk," he added.
Elaborating on how children can avoid becoming diabetic, Dr Rima Tahhan, a specialist at Rashid Hospital, said: "Youngsters should engage themselves more in outdoor activities which require them to exert energy and must refrain from consuming junk or processed food as well as fizzy drinks."
She also said that parents should supervise the contents of their children's lunch boxes and ensure that they get healthy alternatives. Schools should organise awareness campaigns and workshops on healthy eating habits.
Preventive measures
Dr Mohammad Farghaly, head of Chronic Unit at the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services, told Gulf News that a recent study has revealed that if people, who are likely to become diabetic, reduce 7 per cent of their weight and do 150 minutes of exercise per week, they can avert the disease.
"I think that this is a great event to raise awareness in the community," said Fatima Rodrigues, a diabetes patient. Rodrigues said in order to maintain her diet, she sometimes performed yoga and avoided having desserts.
"I hardly make desserts and when I do, I put less sugar in it. Sometimes when I consume more sweets, my vision becomes blurred and I get a headache" she said.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
World Diabetes Day activities at Safa Park
Residents participate in World Diabetes Day activities at Safa Park
Popular in UAE
-
Have your say
Living in untidy homes
Do you think that people who live in untidy homes have bad character?
Latest news
- Khalifa congratulates Karzai on re-election
- Khalifa receives congratulatory call from Talabani
- Complaints against cab drivers decline
- Camel in RAK gives birth to twins
- No hike in water, electricity rates
- Thalassaemia website 'will help educate youth'
- Saif is appointed Emiratisation chief
- Experts call for reviewing green cost of desalination
- Readers: Less water usage means less desalination
- Dubai Police open centre to combat marine pollution
- Pavement parking irks pedestrians
- Man jailed 3 years in fatal assault of colleague
- Murder: Mother gets stiffer sentence
- Traffic Prosecution adopts humanitarian step
- 'All-green' project to ease traffic flow
Community Reports
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
-
Community report: Doing their bit for poor children
A group of students takes concrete action to raise funds for Dubai Cares
