Diabetes Is Now An Epidemic In India  Sonia Anand |
An Indian-origin expert based in Canada has warned that number of people who suffer from diabetes in India is increasing at an alarming rate.
Sonia Anand, who is leading an international study on diabetes and is associate professor in medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton near here, said India faces an prominent threat from type-2 diabetes and heart problems arising from it.
"India is sitting on a diabetes time-bomb and it is ticking very fast," she said. In type-2 diabetes, glucose or sugar builds up in blood rather than getting used by the body. Obesity and sedentary lifestyle are said to be its leading causes.
"In fact, I should say it is already an epidemic with 40 million type 2 diabetics in India," Anand told. "India already has the largest number of diabetics in the world, and the situation is going to get worse," she warned.
"The World Health Organisation and the International Diabetes Federation have already warned that the disease has become an epidemic in India."
Anand, who is heading the world's largest study of genetic causes of diabetes in adults, said: "Since diabetes is the leading cause of heart diseases, India also faces an epidemic of heart problems. So the burden of chronic disease among adults will skyrocket."
Asked why Indians and South Asians are more prone to diabetes, she said: "Indians are very sensitive to weight gain which leads to metabolic changes such as increased blood sugar and cholesterol -- it is likely some combination of genetics and diet." She said there is a combination of factors behind the disease, and diet could be one of them.
"As part of our research, we are trying to understand the role diet plays in diabetes among South Asians who traditionally consume more ghee and fried foods." Anand said: "One thing is clear: once you develop weight, you develop obesity which is the key factor in developing diabetes."
She feared that the rapid urbanisation of India would play a major role in the spread of diabetes and heart diseases. "The urban life is a high risk factor in it. It is a difficult problem, but people should be informed about the risk of gaining weight and encouraged to walk and eat modestly."
