Let’s wake up to a healthy lifestyle to prevent Diabetes

India accounts for 17% of the total persons with diabetes worldwide. There are 80 million diabetic patients in India, projected to increase to 135 million in 2045. Over the past 25 years, type 2 diabetes occurrence in India has climbed by 64%, according to the November 2017 report by the Public Health Foundation and Indian Council for Medical Research. India will reach 90 million people with diabetes in the year 2030 if diabetes continues at the present rate.

Monitor Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits

The pancreas’ beta cells are in charge of producing the hormone insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels, when there is a surge in sugar or hyperglycemia. Insufficient production of insulin causes diabetes. The factors that contribute to diabetes are multifarious. However, some reasons need special mention in today’s unhealthy lifestyle of many Indians.

Work-related Stress and Anxiety: Money-making in this materialistic world has resulted in work stress. Many suffer from relationship issues, identity crises, stress, and anxiety. The requirement to manage stress is compulsory throughout the productive working age.

Processed food and Industrialization: Quick, ready-to-eat, processed meals are readily available at affordable prices with easy use and tempting packaging. Hence home-cooked meals have become a rarity. Post Industrialization in the 1950’s consumerist lifestyle has been on the rise, paving the way to packaged and processed food. From white refined sugar to colas to processed meat, the processed variants are priced less than organic food. The presence of chemicals, preservatives, and food colors are toxic for human consumption.

Lack of exercise: Adults and children find no time for exercise. A good exercise routine, a long relaxing walk, aerobics, or jogging are tedious to many. The importance of exercise for heart health is always explained now and then by experts. It is high time we heed this health advice and include exercise in our health regime.

Mechanization of work: Human work is now easy with Artificial Intelligence powered smart devices like dishwashers and mixers. When robotic devices can do human chores, why flex the muscles to do a difficult chore is always a question in human minds. Thus, mechanization has caused a sedentary lifestyle to flourish.

Addiction to electronic devices: Increased screen time exposes us to harmful radiation. Many are glued to computer monitors, laptops, tabs, and the inevitable mobile devices, which leads to addictive behavior. Overindulgence in unhealthy comfort food, watching television, inactivity, and the chances of becoming stuck in a sitting position is the major culprit behind all lifestyle diseases. Reduced sleep hours and lack of sleep due to late-night television and mobile phone usage are a cause of concern.

Childhood obesity: Palm oil and added sugar are additives in many Indian snacks and drinks. Hence Children who consume more of this junk food are prone to childhood obesity, which is now becoming a major menace. Children glued to video games are reluctant to play outside. This attitude in childhood is the primary reason for childhood obesity.

Maintain Healthy Sugar Levels

Blood sugar tests should be periodically done for individuals above 35 years of age. The risk factors for the occurrence of diabetes are higher for those with a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure or hypertension, insulin resistance, high cholesterol levels, or obesity. All or some of the above factors induce a very high risk of diabetes. If an individual is in the pre-diabetic range, one can modify his/her lifestyle and thus prevent the onset of diabetes. However, once the individual is diagnosed with diabetes, it is vital that the patient takes medication for the management of blood sugar in the right dosage and also modify his/her lifestyle accordingly. Negligence of diabetes can result in heart disease and stroke and is life-threatening. So, everyone should be aware of the importance of treating this lifestyle disorder. Medication is the key to survival after the onset of diabetes. Constant blood sugar monitoring is a primary element in diabetes management; one has to ensure that the blood sugar numbers do not go high.

Treating Diabetes

If there is a requirement for Insulin injections, then do not delay in administering insulin from an external source. Many of us wonder why ignoring the requirement of an external insulin supply is detrimental to the health of a diabetic individual. The pancreatic beta cells are hammered by routine diabetes medication to produce more insulin. Hence these pancreatic beta cells are tired, and this beta cell exhaustion causes excessive stress and a total lack of insulin, which requires more insulin from an external source. So, it is important to maintain the optimal dosage of the right type of diabetes medication to prevent beta cell exhaustion. If Insulin is required, immediate topping up of insulin is the need of the hour to manage blood sugar. Metformin is mostly prescribed for prediabetes and diabetes, apart from sulfonylurea, repaglinide medication, and others.

“The so-called modern lifestyle is where most of us are just rushing through our lives with so many desires and simply not realizing how much it affects our health. As a result, diabetes has reached pandemic intensity. It’s high time now to look at the factors causing such a high incidence of diabetes and fix them now” says Dr. Shivani Bansal, Professor, Department of Medicine, Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad.

One out of six people in the world with diabetes is from India. Since our kith and kin are suffering from this metabolic disease and many of us are prone to its ill effects, it is not surprising that India takes the second position in the world right after China in the year 2019 for the highest number of diabetes and can even take number one spot if behavioral changes are not adopted by the Indian population. So, it is high time we take the right steps in the right direction and become proactive to prevent diabetes from consuming our entire Nation and our future. Let us empower ourselves and others around us for a diabetes-free life. The choice is ours.