Balanced Diet, Daily Exercise, Healthy Lifestyle Help Control Diabetes: Dr Umar Yousaf

Health expert on Saturday urged public particularly the youth to spend a healthy life by adopting healthy habits such as regular exercise and balanced diet for a better life to serve the country as Pakistan is now ranked third in the prevalence of diabetes following China and India

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Nov, 2021 ) :Health expert on Saturday urged public particularly the youth to spend a healthy life by adopting healthy habits such as regular exercise and balanced diet for a better life to serve the country as Pakistan is now ranked third in the prevalence of diabetes following China and India.

"All types of diabetes are equally serious and if not properly handled them they can lead to serious complications", Senior consultant endocrinologist Dr Umar Yousaf Raja Shifa International Hospital talking to a private news channel warned.

He said with the onset of novel coronavirus, people with underlying chronic illnesses such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes are more prone to COVID-19 than a healthy and fit person.

"Diabetes is the leading risk factor for obesity, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation worldwide, but in Pakistan people comparatively suffer more from such problems at a younger age", he further mentioned.

However, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, he added.

Dr Umar said treatment of diabetes involves balanced diet and physical activity along with lowering of blood glucose and the levels of other known risk factors that damage blood vessels, adding, tobacco use cessation is also important to avoid complications.

He urged media to play its role in promoting healthy attitude and practices while NGOs should also play role in preventing the epidemic of diabetes mellitus.

Expert said that overall, more than 537 million people were suffering from diabetes across the globe. During the Covid-19 lockdown, the world witnessed an increase in the prevalence of type-II diabetes as the pandemic restricted physical activities, causing a rise in the cases of obesity.

Replying a question, endocrinologists mentioned that every fourth person in Pakistan is now suffering from diabetes due to poor lifestyle habits.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common, accounting for roughly 90% of adults who have diabetes, he said, adding, early treatment, in addition to small lifestyle changes, can help in preventing type 2 diabetes.