The archipelago is emerging as the diabetes capital of India

 

He is five year old, the age when children have sweet tooth and drool at any sight of chocolates in the shops and stores. Whenever he insists on having sweets his mother sternly reprimand him. But Ravi of Bandra’s teacher’s colony has been asked to stay away from sweets and the doctor’s dictates is being religiously enforced by his parents. The kid has been detected with diabetes a month ago, a disease that eats up vitality slowly and gradually.

 

Like him there are thousands in the island city who suffer from the corroding disease. The union health and family welfare minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had said during inauguration of health exhibition organized by Sanjay Nirupam’s Helpline at  Malad sometime back that Mumbai is gaining notoriety of becoming India’s diabetes capital as the occurrence of rusting disease has even surpassed Delhi which earlier enjoyed the title.

 

Concerned over the increasing number of people falling prey to diabetes, he said India would soon become the hub of this corroding disease. Demanding compulsory blood sugar test he promised to administer free Glucometer tests in government medical centers which is yet a distant reality. 

 

It was earlier considered to be an elite’s disease; now found widely prevalent among the poor. The government’s over 15,000 crore Rajiv Gandhi Health Card Yojana promises to cover insurance of people below poverty line. Here the poor need not pay a single penny as premium.

 

Doctors believe changing food habits among metro-kids behind chronic health problems. Savoring packaged or junk foods are behind obesity, diabetes and hypertension.  

 

Nutritionists contend packaged foods do not have the same nutrition value of a freshly prepared meal. In fact, prolonged consumption of certain components in these foods, coupled with physical inactivity, can cause obesity among children and teenagers.

 

"Urban children have developed a taste for maida. Everything-from instant noodles, to pasta and even bread-includes maida. These give instant calories and energy as maida gets absorbed fast. But there is no satiety value," said Vibha Kapadia, a nutritionist.

 

Such foods stir trouble and our system become poisoned by metabolic wastes these release, informed an ayurvedic expert.Despite assurance from health minister and state administration the drive against disease lack conviction and the diabetics’ suffering are ignored ruthlessly.