I would like to refer to the article Diabetics are given new hope (June 25) which described new research on type 2 diabetes. The study was done on 11 people and is statistically insufficient to prove anything. The sample size is too small. The number of calories which the researchers mentioned is too low to be considered healthy and can not be sustained for long periods.
Also not mentioned is whether the people included in the study were obese or if there were any other standardisation points like age or pre-existing conditions in the study.
The mechanism described of a low calorie diet is that it removes fat which is clogging the pancreas. This is physiologically not true. There is no mechanical obstruction of insulin secretion from the pancreas in type 2 diabetes. The cause of this type is either insulin resistance or decreased production.
I think that type 2 diabetics should be advised to have a healthy diet and regular exercise to control their blood sugar. This particular study does not prove the reversal of diabetes for three months of followup in a very small sample size.
A Zaidi, Al Ain
Worrying outlook for Libya's future
The opinion article by Hanan Ghosheh Worrying signs that Libya's transitional rebels plan to stay (June 20) prompted me to write to you. I am deeply worried by the fact that some players within Transitional National Council (TNC) are former high-profile Qaddafi regime officials.
The Libyan people should be careful after Col Qaddafi's overthrow to choose a free, democratic and all-inclusive body to govern and to represent them.
When I visited Tripoli and Benghazi in late 2010 for business purposes, I could feel the tension among the Libyan people. After the start of the 2011 Libyan civil war between Qaddafi's Tripoli-based government and TNC's Benghazi-based opposition, I can hardly imagine visiting Libya again for either business or tourism purposes. Let us hope that Libya will not be Iraq after Saddam Hussein.
Gaye Caglayan, Dubai
More mini-dams for Pakistan
I am glad to see a positive development about Pakistan reported in good detail in your article Tribes reap rewards of Waziristan peace deal (June 26).The elusive peace dividend is never too late.
It's a pity how long initiatives such as mini-dams take, and only then literally under the gun. Mini-dams, good for both power and irrigation, are much more economical and easily built, given all the political, business and environmental concerns, and it is surprising the the GCC or other local investors haven't looked at such viable renewable energy projects.
Such small initiatives ought to be considered by the Khalifa Fund and others for local development and job creation by UAE entrepreneurs.
Athar Mian, Abu Dhabi
Some problems with bus lanes
I refer to the front page news article Busiest city roads to get 50km of bus lanes (June 26). Yes, adding bus lanes promises faster transit times for bus passengers. But at what cost? Not everyone can take a bus. Some people must transport bulky packages, are going to or from places the buses don't serve, or travel at times when service is scant. Then there are commercial vehicles. For all those travellers, traffic can only become worse if some lanes are reserved for buses.
The planners should try driving on, say, Hamdan Street on a Friday evening before making more rules.
Charlie Brooks, Dubai
The origins of dining in the dark
In reference to Dubai restaurant experiments with dining in darkness (June 24), the original concept of dining in the dark were the "Blind Cow" restaurants in Switzerland which hired waiters who were blind. The concept was not so much about highlighting the other senses as providing meaningful employment for people who are visually impaired with a job that gave them an advantage over sighted people. The fun of eating in the dark and the novelty factor was just part of what attracted people to the restaurant. I think the more chef-led approach of the Dubai restaurant is fraught with pitfalls.
Sally Prosser, Dubai
A simple solution to social ills
Manar al Hinai's opinion article Lavish weddings costing Emiratis more than money (June 25) enumerated the many social ills attendant upon lavish weddings. But why not just have a less lavish wedding?
Do away with dowries. The two families split the cost. Problem solved.
AM, Abu Dhabi