Diabetes rears its ugly head in India

The rise in diabetes has attained an alarming proportion in India. A recent government study says that more than a fifth of the country’s 1.25 billion population suffers from diabetes and hypertension. The Indian Council of Medical Research has reported that according to the Global Burden of Disease Report 2015, the number of deaths due to diabetes increased from 224,000 (in 2005) to 346,000 (in 2015). The deadly condition is now among the top seven causes of deaths in India. In a country that has reported vast improvements in health care during recent years, it is a shame that diabetes is gnawing away at its innards. Globally, the diabetic population in 2000 stood at 171 million, but was estimated to have spiked to a whopping 366 million by the turn of the decade, as per World Health Organisation estimates. Unless intense and focused efforts are made by governments, communities and individuals, the condition will overcome us.

Doctors have been cautioning about poor diets, rapid urbanisation and low physical activity — major reasons of diabetes. With no effective remedy to reverse the condition, controlling diabetes therefore becomes the key. Pairing your carbs with a protein diet, consuming fresh leafy vegetables and high-fibre foods (like whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, dried beans) clears out the cholesterol building in our blood vessels. Moreover cutting down on bad carbs (like sweets, white rice, beverages) and eating healthy significantly minimises the risk of problems from diabetes like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and even blindness. Moderate exercises a few times every week lower the blood sugar level and boosts the mood, which helps our bodies push back the effects of diabetes. Humans possess the resolve to fight this debilitating condition. There is an urgent need to carry it out.