Public health campaigns on diabetes must be ‘more intensive’, say doctors

Eating healthily, exercising regularly and maintaining a normal body weight help prevent diabetes but the World Health Organisation estimates that about 34.5 per cent Emiratis are obese and 70.6 per cent are overweight.

Fast foods such as hamburgers, fried chicken and pizza are a factor in obesity and diabetes. Fatima Al Marzouqi / The National

ABU DHABI // Public health authorities have a long, hard road ahead of them to ensure their message about diabetes is heard, a doctor says.

It will require a more urgent, relentless campaign, and there is no quick fix, said Dr Jeevan Joseph Mettayil, an endocrinologist at NMC Specialty Hospital in Al Ain.

“Public health programmes are not ineffective but they need to be more intensive and sustained over a significant period of time to reach everyone,” said Dr Mettayil.

“We need a concerted effort of preventive and educational programmes. A small or limited effort may not reach everyone it needs to reach. You need to have a situation capable of tackling the problem.”

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 34.5 per cent Emiratis are obese and 70.6 per cent are overweight.

Statistics from International Diabetes Federation released to mark Monday's International Diabetes Day also revealed there were more than 280,000 new cases of diabetes last year, pushing the number of diabetics in the UAE past one million.

Dr Mettayil said that getting people to change their lifestyles and habits was difficult.

“Have a multi-faceted approach that isn’t localised to certain events,” he said. “For maximum impact, concentrate on the children.”

He said people did not understand the strong link between diabetes and eating high-calorie food.

Diabetes can result in serious long-term complications including heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure, foot ulcers and damage to the eyes.

Dr Mettayil said access to gymnasiums and parks should be made easier, and suggested gym discount vouchers for to those at risk of diabetes.

Dr Ibtihal Fadhil, a regional adviser at the WHO, said: “The issue of awareness needs re-emphasis and needs more work on linking diabetes with your lifestyle, behaviour, diet and activity.

“The UAE has a very good primary healthcare system, the medicine availability is 100 per cent. You don’t see a lot of cases getting too complicated and leading to eye damage but the screening and prevention has to be strengthened.”

The WHO said raised blood glucose had risen from 8 per cent of the population in 2010 to 10.6 per cent in 2014.

“This is a critical increase in relatively short period worth attention,” said Dr Fadhil.

The WHO is encouraging primary healthcare centres to screen people for diabetes, and already adults older than 40 have to be screened for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Shahzad Ahmed, 48, an IT consultant in Abu Dhabi, suffered from hypertension and was obese, making him a candidate for diabetes until he decided to take action in 2011.

“When I train regularly, I stay away from these issues and I lose weight,” said Mr Ahmed, who is now in training for a fitness event next year.

“The moment I slow down due to lifestyle and work pressures and schedules, I start regaining weight and slowly my blood glucose levels and blood pressure start to rise. I have experienced this cycle a few times.

“There is no way out for me except for keeping an active lifestyle forever. I wake up at odd hours or stay up late just to be consistent in my training.”

Being overweight or obese, a family history of diabetes, having a stroke or heart disease and smoking are the main risk factors for developing diabetes.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of Education on Sunday launched the KiDs programme to educate schoolchildren about diabetes.

Starting with government schools, children will be taught about diabetes through interactive material including comics, cartoon characters, activity sheets, competitions and educational videos.

The number of people with diabetes is increasing all over the world – and 46 per cent of the 415 million adults living with the condition are unaware they even have it.