Health experts have warned that poor eating habits, especially the excessive consumption of rice in the form of biryani and carbonated drinks can be one of the leading causes of diabetes in Pakistan.
According to experts, the excessive consumption of rice and carbonated sodas must be stopped to prevent diabetes.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Diabetes Discovering Project, Internal Medicine Specialist and Endocrinologist Professor Tasnim Ahsan said that the country was facing a “diabetes epidemic”.
Professor Tasnim said, “Everything unhealthy we eat [nowadays] should be avoided, especially rice in the form of biryani, soft drinks and so-called fast food.”
“More than 50 per cent of people with diabetes are unaware of their health condition and only find out when their eyes, kidneys, heart or brain have been severely damaged,” the Professor said, adding that “precaution is better than cure.”
Diabetes expert Professor Zaman Sheikh, while talking about the disease said: “The disease is threatening thousands of lives in Pakistan every year but unfortunately most people are ignorant of the causes of the disease and consider it a small problem.”
“When people come to us with diabetes after living for many years, many of their vital organs have already suffered badly,” he said, asserting that “diabetes causes permanent damage to the eyes and kidneys and can even lead to heart attacks and fatal strokes.”
Professor Javed Iqbal, a laparoscopic surgeon, said that lack of awareness about health issues is no less than a crime, as diseases like diabetes are quietly causing irreparable harm to people.
He advised Pakistanis to change their eating habits, diet and lifestyle and get tested for diabetes as soon as possible.
Haroon Qasim, Managing Director, Pharmevo, on the Diabetes Discovering Project, said that a helpline service has been developed under the project so that people can know the nature of diabetes on their own and consult diabetes experts in the country.
“We believe that the healthy lifestyle should be a part of Pakistan’s school curriculum as more than 26% of the people in the country have diabetes and every child knows it,” he said.
