The New Nation - Internet Edition

ACCORDING to health experts, the number of diabetic patients aged over 20 is likely to jump to 7.5 million in the country by 2025 from more than four million at present. This alarming rate poses a serious threat to national health. Fast increase of diabetic patients is a global phenomenon. According to sources, over 250 million people live with this disease around the world. Every day, more than 200 children are diagnosed with a type of diabetes the treatment of which involves daily insulin injection. Experts hold particular lifestyle and food habits, urbanisation and different environmental factors responsible for diabetes.

Diabetes is a metabolic condition of the patients. It is basically of two types with different symptoms. While type-1 diabetes involves multiple daily insulin shots and regular monitoring of glucose level in blood, type-2 diabetes is preventable with appropriate lifestyle modifications and proper treatment. Lack of ideas about the causes and symptoms of the ailment stands as an obstacle to its control. Not only the illiterate masses but also the educated people do not have sufficient ideas about the disease. People need to be given correct knowledge about food habits and life style. Diabetes is more prevalent among the city dwellers. One of the causes of this peculiar phenomenon may be that they do not get sufficient open spaces for sports and exercise. Moreover, they have little scope of manual work. The cities should earmark parks and spaces and should make pavements available to the pedestrians to walk. Treatment of diabetes and counselling for the patients should be made available to check the prevalence of the disease.