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Tejaswi Sharma
NEW DELHI – The ancient wisdom that 'an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure' holds more relevance than ever in today's busy lives plagued by chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer etc. Though these diseases, commonly known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), pose significant health risks, adopting a healthy lifestyle is crucial and can help reduce the risk to a great extent, experts said Sunday.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDs are a major health problem globally, causing 41 million deaths each year, accounting for 74% of all deaths.
“A balanced diet, regular exercise, early detection and prevention are necessary to prevent chronic diseases like cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Lifestyle changes, stress management and regular health check-ups can reduce costs and improve quality of life,” Dr Venus Taneja, consultant, department of medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.
Dr Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, Consultant Internal Medicine, Fortis Escorts, Okhla Road, New Delhi, points out that NDC can be “prevented through a proper diet that includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains, combined with regular exercise.”
He also stressed the need to “maintain a healthy weight, manage stress and avoid harmful habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption to further strengthen the body's defenses.”
A recent 'Nation's Health' report by Apollo Hospitals found that around three in four Indians are obese or overweight, and the incidence of obesity is set to increase from 9% in 2016 to 20% by 2023.
The incidence of hypertension is set to increase from 9% in 2016 to 13% by 2023, with two in three Indians, or 66%, at the pre-hypertension stage. Moreover, data shows that one in ten people have uncontrolled diabetes and one in three are pre-diabetic. Young Indians are also increasingly facing the challenge of cancer.
Recently published dietary guidelines for Indians by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and ICMR reveal that over 10% of 5-19 year olds are pre-diabetic. The WHO projects that 77 million Indians aged 18 and above will have type 2 diabetes as of March 2024, and another 25 million will be pre-diabetic. The numbers are expected to grow sharply in the coming years.
Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as a diet high in sugar, salt and fat, sedentary lifestyle, environmental factors such as tobacco smoke and alcohol consumption, increasing air pollution, and an ageing population are the main factors causing NCDs.
Dr Kalpana Nagpal, senior consultant, ENT department, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, told IANS that vaccines are very important in preventing the disease.
Experts also stressed the importance of regular health check-ups as many diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers do not show any symptoms in the early stages, which helps in detecting these diseases before they progress, thus increasing the chances of successful treatment.
“Timely medical attention is also important in case of lumps, ulcers and cancer. Regular colonoscopies and sleep studies are also recommended, especially for people above 40 years of age,” she said. (IANS)
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