Must educate and follow up with people about dietary and exercise habits, say doctors
Posted on: 26/Jan/2016 4:35:39 PM
Experts have said that a low carb diet and a half hour workout five times a day can offset the risk of diabetes. They say that this works across different ages and body weight profiles. A study to the effect has been published in the journal Diabetic Medicine.
700 case sheets of pre diabetics were studied. One group of a little more than half the total number of respondents were given basic information about diabetes, its risks and how to prevent it. The other group were given periodic reminders and counselling. The second group met and talked about what worked for them, and what did not. The doctors involved said that they helped them keep track of what they ate and how they exercised.
Over a period of two years, the doctors found that the second group managed to cut the risk of diabetes by nearly 35 percent. Those in the first group achieved 14 percent.
Say the doctors, It happened to people in all age groups irrespective of their weight. We don`t know exactly why lifestyle changes bring in good results across age groups, but we know it happens.
According to a recent survey, only one in two Indians is active. More than half of our population is physically inactive, putting them at the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiac diseases and cancer. On the brighter side, studies show even moderate weight loss reduce the odds of progression to diabetes by nearly half. It`s important to extend intervention as a programme across the country. It could be one of our largest national health efforts for prevention of non-communicable diseases. It`s not just about telling people what they should eat. The intention is to help them adopt healthy habits and to look at it as a way of life.
