Health experts say diabetes growing amongst teenagers

KARACHI: Healthcare professionals and medical science experts have warned that teenagers as young as13 to 15 years had now started developing type 2 diabetes in Pakistan and advised people to revert to an active lifestyle by staying away from screens.

They also suggested that people resort to 40-50 minutes of daily exercise and eat a healthy and balanced diet to avoid getting a chronic illness.

"We are extremely concerned to see teenagers asyoungas13to15yearsof age developing type 2 diabetes in Pakistan," Dr Nadeem Naeem, consultant diabetologist told a news briefing following a diabetes screening camp at Karachi Press Club (KPC) recently. "Girls are more prone to develop type 2 diabetes as compared to boys in Pakistan but we are seeing an increasing number of teenagers coming up with type 2 diabetes in the country."

The diabetes screening camp was organized by Ehad Medical Centre in collaboration with the `Discovering Diabetes` project at the KPC. Dr Naeem said Pakistan was currently facing an epidemic of diabetes and warned that due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, youngsters and teenagers were also developing diabetes in the country, which is extremely alarming.

"Earlier we used to see people developing diabetes in the 40s, then in 30s but it is now very common in 20s and even among teenagers. This situation can lead to serious repercussions," he said and added that people would have to rethink their priorities.

Speaking about fasting in Ramazan, he said fasting was extremely good for overweight people, pre-diabetics and those who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and added that people with moderate and severe diabetes should consult their physicians so that their medicines and diet could be adjusted in accordance with their health conditions.