Calls for healthy lifestyle, awareness renewed on World Diabetes Day

AMMAN — On   World Diabetes Day, which annually falls on November 14, physicians renewed their calls on the public to follow a healthier lifestyle as more than two million Jordanians are diagnosed with the chronic illness.

President of the Jordanian Diabetes Association Nadima Shaqam said in remarks to The Jordan Times that “discovering early signs of diabetes and identifying those at risk is an important and life-saving job done by doctors”.

Shaqam called for “strengthening healthcare systems by employing more nurses and doctors, training them and activating their role in making a difference”.

Previous national studies have shown that 46 per cent of Jordanians above the age of 25 have diabetes, 78 per cent are overweight, 44 per cent have high blood pressure and 50 per cent have lipid problems.

 Head of the National Diabetes Centre Kamel Ajlouni estimated in previous press statements that the number of people with diabetes in Jordan reached about two million people.

“This is a very alarming indication. People in their mid-20s should not be at risk of such serious diseases. The Jordanian lifestyle, which consists of little to no exercise, unhealthy food and unhealthy eating habits paired with the stress of high living costs and little entertainment are all key issues in these statistics,” said Huda Awni, a dietician.

“Until now, there is no specific treatment for diabetes, which makes living a lifestyle that prevents it all the more important,” Awni said.

The dietician said that while genetics play a role in the disease, diet and exercise play a major role in its prevention.

“Most people that undergo In-Body Tests here at the clinic have high levels of fat or cholesterol even if they are within the normal weight range, which indicates that the type of food they are eating is the problem,” added Awni.

Head of the Development and Health Committee at the National Council for Human Rights Ibrahim Badour suggested to focus on educational methods for chronic diseases, most notably diabetes, with the aid of social media influencers, and strengthen the role of doctors and nurses in raising awareness about such diseases whose complications can be reduced by preventive measures.

“The time has come to improve the quality of life for patients and reduce the high financial costs resulting from their treatment, which can be done simply by following a balanced diet, exercising regularly and getting rid of excess weight,” Badour told The Jordan Times.

Badour noted that these preventive methods have been proven effective in preventing Type two diabetes in 50 per cent of patients.

Shaqam added that having patients who are educated about the disease “is of great importance, because it contributes to reducing its complications, which leads to reducing the costly expenses of treatment and its complications such as kidney failure, retinal dysfunction, cardiac and nerve diseases and limb infarction”.

On patient awareness, Awni said that “some patients have had diabetes almost all of their lives and are well aware of its seriousness and still choose to deliberately ignore medical advice.