Nov 03: “The health of people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness and all their powers as a state depend”, this statement of Benjamin Disraeli seems to catch the attention of SAARC countries that today a conference is being held on obesity and diabetes in Delhi.
Health experts from South Asian countries are coming to Delhi today to attend two-day SAARC obesity and diabetes conference being organised by the department of endocrinology and metabolism at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital where they will discuss various medical procedures like surgery, stem cell therapy, gene therapy, insulin inhaler and share ideas and personal experiences among themselves.
This is to be known that graph of obesity affected people in Asia is on a rapid rise. This has become a major public health problem and has taken the form of endemic in metro cities of Asian countries leading to increased incidence of heart disease and diabetes.
Around 30% Indians are suffering from obesity and this number is expected to rise up to 50% by next decade, according to Surendra Kumar, head of the department of endocrinology and metabolism at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Today 20% of Indian population is under high risk of obesity due to consumption of visible dietary fat.
Reason behind obesity mainly is changed food habits and sedentary life style. Though Dr. Kumar says that real cause lies in the brain, certain metabolic activities in brain cause this ailment. They affect our genes and food intake. As a consequence almost 70% of calories are deposited in the body leading to obesity and diabetes.
Another aspect of the problem is that it is no more confined to males and adults but increasingly affecting females and children. According to a survey by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) around 76% of women of Delhi are suffering from abdominal obesity.
Obesity is dangerous in the sense that it opens the path for other health hazards mainly diabetes. 57% of obese people suffer from type-2 diabetes, and others face cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, gallbladder and many others.
Central obesity that is fat concentrated around waist in relation to abdominal organs is the main reason behind type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes that has reached epidemic levels in Asia is due to insulin resistance or reduced insulin sensitivity combined with reduced insulin secretion. In insulin resistance, the body is not bale to use insulin properly to convert glucose to energy.
Type-2 diabetes can’t be diagnosed for years for its mild symptoms and long term complications may result in renal failure, vision damage, loss of sensation or pain or liver damage.
Very first step to reduce obesity and diabetes is healthy food habits, active life-style. Increased physical activity, decreasing carbohydrate intake and loosing weight may restore insulin sensitivity. Consumption of fruits and vegetables should be increased to reduce obesity.
Keep in mind that health is the first of all liberties. One is restricted to the problems if one is not healthy and it may in turn affect the capacity of state.
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