Rebecca Ejifoma
A leading pharmaceutical company, Mega Lifesciences, has recommended that Nigerians make about 10,000 steps daily as a practical solution against diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
These were the words of experts at a media conference in line with this year’s World Diabetes Day on the theme, “Access to Diabetes Care; If Not Now, When?”
Professor of Endocrinology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof Olufemi Fasanmade, harped on being more active, remaining slim and fit.
He said: “The first thing to do is to move; it’s very cheap,” adding that sedentary activity is as deadly as smoking or drinking because it’s a deadly habit. “You sit for six, eight hours. emphasising that everyday must have a lot of movement”.
While noting that most phones have a step counter which measures the number of steps you take, Fasanmade implored, we should have about 10,000 steps per day to keep hypertension, diabetes and cancer away. So you can do three in one; physical activity”.
The endocrinologist, however, cautioned that only a small portion of people who are diabetic have symptoms.
Some of the symptoms he listed are: passing “plenty” of urine, poor vision, poor erection, poor stamina, poor obstetric history including miscarriages and stillbirth, and itching on the skin.
He further hinted at people living with protruding tummies. “Change your lifestyle. If you have a protruding tummy, you have a high risk of diabetes. Watch what you eat and drink. It is not poverty that makes a person look slim.”
While raising alarm that diabetes can affect all age groups including children, the professor enjoined, “The simple way to do this is to check your own blood sugar in a laboratory whether or not you have diabetes.”
Speaking also, Internationally board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician (one of the 17 in Africa), Dr. Chinasa Amadi, echoed the words of Fasanmade.
“With recent statistics predicting that one in 10 children born after year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes, there is no better time than today to begin advocacy.
“We need to go back to the basics – plant-based foods, our local foods, cooked not canned and processed.”
With diabetes described as a chronic disease according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Diabetes Product Manager Mega Lifesciences, Ibukun Adetuyi cited that in 2019, diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death with an estimated 1.5 million deaths directly caused by diabetes.
She, therefore, urged Nigerians to take their health seriously. “According to WHO, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use are ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.”
The Managing Director, Mega Lifesciences, Manesh Mehra, shared the vision of the firm – to take free screenings to communities and smaller towns across the nation to help them stay healthy.
His words: “We want to take medical outreach and quality education about the diabetes and its complications and lifestyle. This way, we hope to grant them access and helping them take control of their health.”
