The growing sedentary life whether it is in metros or small cities has given rising trend in diabetic cases and even villages too are experiencing the phenomenon. Another trend seen is large number of young women are too falling in the category. The changing life style more confined to indoors with erratic food habits has helped nurture this disease which with slight change in life style and food habits can be reversed to improve health. These findings are given by a study carried out by ASSOCHAM. The study has shown that New Delhi with over 40 per cent of the diabetic population is leading among cities closely followed by Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The study reveals that about 42.5 per cent of Delhi’s population suffers from this disease, which in the case of Mumbai is estimated at 38.5 per cent of its total population. In Ahmedabad 36 per cent people are diabetic. In Bangalore 26.5 per cent, while in Chennai the percentage is estimated to be 24.5 per cent. In Hyderabad and Kolkata, the number of diabetic patients is estimated at 22.6 per cent and 19.7 per cent of the total population, respectively. Even in rural areas, people are increasingly becoming victims of diabetes, the study ‘Diabetes on the Rise in India’ says. The study also found that if changes in lifestyle and food habits are not made, 125 million Indians are likely to become victims of diabetes by 2035, besides the cost-burden imposed by the disease, the impact on quality of life and productivity of individuals is particularly severe, especially in later years. The consumption of high amount of oil, Ghee or butter in various cooked products which has evidently led to increase in the number of obesity and hypertension cases is pushing up the figures with regard to diabetics and Delhities are fond of such rich food. The increase in diabetes cases among men grew by 25 per cent, while among women it was by a whopping 42 per cent covering an age bracket of 20-29 years, followed by 30-39 years (26 per cent), 40-49 years (16 per cent), 50-59 years (2 per cent) and 60-69 years (approximately 1 per cent). This is alarming trend which needs to be addressed at the earliest.
