India under largest diabetes epidemic threat, says WHO

Rajkot, Apr 17 (UNI) A conference on diabetes has been organised by Association of Physicians of Rajkot and Gujarat's Research Society for Study of Diabetes India (RSSDI) to spread awareness about the disease among the people.

The two-day conference will commence here from April 21.

Addressing mediapersons today, the conference's organising secretary Dr Vidyut Shah said as per the World Health Organisation's (WHO) study, the world's largest diabetes epidemic is threatening India. Every fifth diabetic in the world will be an Indian.

Replying to a question, Mr Shah said ''the increase in diabetes patients is mainly due to our adoption of a more Western lifestyle, involving fatty foods in our diet and very little exercise. Obesity is a known risk factor for the development of diabetes.'' He said prescribing drugs and restricting diet are not the right answers to the emerging problem of diabetes, but understanding the disease and following specific measures against it are now urgently required.

Awareness among diabetic patients is the need of the hour, he said.

He said another worry confronting the Indian health authorities is the relatively young age at which diabetes is being diagnosed in many patients.

Dr Shah said well known doctors such as Dr Anup Mishra, Dr B K Sahay, Dr Shashank Joshi and Dr P V Rao would attend the conference and would express their scientific views on dibetes. Mr Sahay will highlight the importance of Yoga in containing diabetes.

''Approximately 500 doctors from across the country will participate in the conference,'' he added.

UNI