Times of India
28 June 2011
By Seethalakshmi S
San Diego,CA, USA

Combination Of Diet And Exercise Can Keep Metabolic Disorder Under Check
Home to 50.8 million people with diabetes, India better watch what it eats. The rapid nutritional transition resulting in excess consumption of calories, saturated fats, low intake of fibre coupled with sedentary lifestyle has made India with the world’s largest diabetes population. China is second with 43.2 million.

The 71st scientific meeting of the American Diabetes Association currently under way here had sessions devoted to diet, stress and exercise to fight the disease, which doctors say has reached epidemic proportions. "The largest age group currently affected by diabetes is between 40 and 59 years, though a large number of youngsters too are being diagnosed. By 2030, around 438 million people could have diabetes, making it one of the greatest medical challenges of the 21st century.

Unfortunately, India, known for its consumption of traditional home–cooked food, is adopting a Western lifestyle," Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, chief science officer and head of research at Novo Nordisk, Denmark, told TOI.

Studies presented here on India’s changing food habits show irregular meals and frequent snacking on energy dense fast foods with low nutritional value are leading to obesity and diet–related non–communicable diseases (type 2 diabetes mellitus) not just in urban areas but in rural parts too.

"The prevalence of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome is on the rise in urban India. The consumption of animal foods, sweetened carbonated drinks, sugar and sweeteners has gone up, which is altering glucose levels in the body," said researchers.

At an exclusive session to discuss last week’s report in The Lancet on diet and exercise for type–2 diabetes, Frank B Hu, department of nutrition and epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, said a combination of diet and exercise worked significantly better than diet alone.

"Patients in both diet and diet and activity groups had significant improvements in secondary outcomes of weight, waist circumference and insulin resistance. However, there was no evidence of further benefits from addition of physical activity to dietary intervention," he said.

Christina Voulgari, Athens University of Medical School, added: "Even a threeweek regime of exercise improves glycemic management and insulin resistance."

Of Insulin Jab & Sugar Count

• India has 50.8million diabetic population
• Next comes China with 43.2million diabetics
• 40–59yrs age group is worst affected
• By 2030, 438million people could be diabetic

(This correspondent was in San Diego on the invitation from the American Diabetes Association and Novo Nordisk)