IN India which is called the diabetes capital of the world there are as many as 50 million people suffering from type-2 diabetes. However, medical experts feel that timely detection and right management can go a long way in helping patients lead a normal life. Diabetes might be one of the most talked about diseases across the world and especially in India, but awareness about the same can well be estimated by the fact that India today has more people with type-2 diabetes (more than 50 million) than any other nation. Prevention of the disease and dealing with it call for important measures, as recommended in your write-up titled "Alternative treatments to cure diabetes." If the rising incidence of diabetes goes unchecked, its long-term implications will undermine our progress. It needs to be tackled by a multi-pronged strategy that includes awareness campaigns. This is because of the changing lifestyle and, most importantly, lack of physical activity. If left unattended, diabetes will assume formidable proportions. The only possible reason for the increase in the number of diabetes patients in India could be the change in food and lifestyle habits, where the younger generation is addicted to the fast-food culture with its minimal fibre content. In addition to this is the lack of physical exercise. It is crucial that lessons on diabetes control are incorporated in the academic curriculum. There must be a free and compulsory medical check-up for students.
Vinod C. Dixit
B-15 Jyotikalash Society
B/H Sundervan
Satellite, Ahmedabad, India
