14 NOVEMBER is an important day for Mzansi. It is World Diabetes Day.
This is the call from Sebokeng Hospital in the Vaal. They made the move to raise awareness about this lifestyle disease.
Last week the hospital conducted a five-day awareness campaign on its premises last week under the theme Diabetes and Family.
The aim was to show support for people living with diabetes.
Dimakatso Mashiloane, a nurse, said hospitals and clinics are full of people suffering from chronic diseases including diabetes.
“Many years ago diabetes sufferers were fewer.
“Back then, people didn’t eat lots of fast foods and walked much more to work or school and back.”
“Today people, especially the youth, eat more fast foods, watch more TV and move less.
“Even adults are to blame. More people own cars than in the past and they drive to visit a neighbour or shop at the mall instead of walking there and back.
“Others choose to travel in taxis rather than walk if they don’t have access to a car.”
Dimakatso said the hospital runs the diabetes campaign every year. They are determined to educate people about avoiding diabetes.
Last year they had screenings and weighed visitors and people came in their numbers.
She said: “People need to eat better. They must have one starch on their plate at every meal.
“You should have pasta, pap, potatoes or rice, but no more than one.
“Do not eat more starch than the size of your fist in one meal. It’s best to not eat more than that in a day.”
Dimakatso also said people must avoid eating chicken skin.
“If you want to eat chicken then cook it without a skin to avoid the huge uptake of fat – especially if the chicken is fried.
“Do not eat red meat more than three times a week. Buy lean meat even if it’s wors or mince meat.
“People must also exercise a lot more. Cut down on your drinking and stop smoking.
“People have created a bad culture, where they feed babies and children sugary drinks and salty food. Stop doing that.
“This is why more and more children are developing diabetes now at younger ages than ever before.”
The hospital devotes a week to diabetes awareness as a lifestyle disease, its symptoms and what people can do to prevent it.
