Urban Indian Women Are At A High Risk Of Diabetes

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Diabetes is one of the leading lifestyle diseases that ailing the urban population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the number of diabetes cases have quadrupled since 1980.

Sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, bad food habits and stress are considered to be the major cause for the increasing number of diabetes cases.

With 72.9 million people currently living with diabetes, India is known as the world capital for the disease. According to an estimate, the diabetic population in India is expected to grow up to 134.3 million by 2045.

A new study has found that over 60 per cent of urban Indian women do not follow a regular exercise regime, and this has led to increased risk of diabetes.

The survey study which was released to mark the World Diabetes Day. The survey showed that 73 per cent of urban women in the country are unaware of gestational diabetes and its related health risks for the next generation.

During the study, over 1,000 women, in the age group of 18-65 years were taken into consideration. The participants were interviewed in order to check whether they were aware about the risks pertaining to diabetes.

The survey was conducted across 14 cities in the country - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Indore, Guwahati, Kochi and Vijaywada.

Following the survey it was found that 78 per cent of the women who were interviewed were aware of diabetes as a serious health concern and more than 70 per cent women believed that a healthy lifestyle will help prevent diabetes and its associated complications.

"While it is encouraging to note that 78 per cent of the respondents were aware about diabetes and its complications, it is alarming to note that women are not taking concrete actions to address this challenge," said, Melvin D'souza, Managing Director, Novo Nordisk India, the company which has conducted the survey.

Meanwhile, learn about a few of the major risk factors for diabetes here.

1. Sitting For Too Long:
If you have the habit of sitting and working for long or watching television then you need to stop it immediately as this increases the risk of diabetes. The muscles fail to have any movement due to which the body is not able to maintain the insulin level.

2. Overweight:
When your body has excess fat, especially around your abdomen, your body becomes more resistant to insulin and the hunger-regulating hormone leptin. This in turn gives rise to diabetes.

3. Lack Of Exercise:
Regular exercise, does not mean that you need to hit the gym. Even a 15-30 minutes of walking or jogging everyday not just helps in keeping your diabetes under control but it helps in preventing several other health issues as well.

(With Agency Inputs)