MV Hospital Promotes Prevention of Childhood Obesity and Diabetes

Dr Vijay Viswanathan

Hospital for Diabetes & Diabetes Research Centre, Chennai and the WHO collaborating centre in India, launched a campaign titled ‘Campaign on Prevention of Childhood Obesity and Diabetes’ to address this concern. A manual detailing facts and guidelines on prevention of obesity for children was also launched to help cultivate long-term weight control. The manual, an awareness handbook on the subject in the country— Manual on Prevention of Childhood Obesity—was launched by Thangam Thennarasu, Honorable Minister of Education, Tamil Nadu.

Dr Vijay Viswanathan, Managing Director, MV Hospital for Diabetes, said, "The increase of obesity in children in India especially in the urban areas is quite alarming. Therefore, we decided to concentrate on the food habits of children and assist parents in providing their children with a healthy nutritious diet. The manual also has guidelines on physical activity and routines that would not over-stress the child but help stay fit." He requested the Government of Tamil Nadu to support the Institute in performing an impact assessment in the state. The study would form a base for understanding the need for awareness on prevention of childhood obesity and diabetes not just in the state, but for the entire country, he said. "We are planning to submit a memorandum to the Government in this regard and hope to launch the project soon," Dr Viswanathan added.

EH Bureau

Disclaimer: All opinions and Information published here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. If you are a patient, please see your doctor for evaluation of your individual case. Under no circumstances will the authors be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with use of this website

Key messages 2008

Diabetes in Children and Adolescents Diabetes is one of the most chronic diseases of childhood. It can strike children of any age including infants and toddlers. World Diabetes Day focuses on children and adolescents to raise awareness of the diabetes and its impact on children. Every child has a right to a long and healthy life.

*No child should die of diabetes
*Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most common cause of death and disability in children with *Type 1 diabetes around the world Children die because their families cannot afford the medication they need
*Many children with diabetes in developing countries die soon after diagnosis
*Despite modern treatment, over 50% of children with diabetes develop complications 12 years after diagnosis
*More than 200 children develop Type 1 diabetes every day
*Diabetes is different for children
*Diabetes affects children of all ages
*All diabetes is on the rise in children
*Diabetes is increasing in children and adolescents
*Care for children is best when a multidisciplinary approach is adopted involving health professionals from all areas that concern children
*A child's access to appropriate medication and care should be a right not a privilege Diabetes costs more than money
*Children with diabetes can live full, healthy, and productive lives
*Over 50% of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented
*Diabetes brings different challenges at different ages Diabetes hits the poorest hardest.

The World Diabetes Day campaign in 2007 and 2008 aims to:
Increase the number of children supported by the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child Program Raise awareness of the warning signs of diabetes Encourage initiatives to reduce diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and distribute materials to support these initiatives Promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent Type 2 diabetes in children.

Disclaimer: All opinions and Information published here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. If you are a patient, please see your doctor for evaluation of your individual case. Under no circumstances will the authors be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with use of this website

Common Myths on Diabetes Mellitus

Ignorance in case of diabetes in not bliss. So, be informed about the common myths related to diabetes.
*Sugar causes diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetic factors combined with environmental triggers. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Diabetics do not need to stop eating foods that are concentrated sources of sugar, but they can eat small amounts of sugar.
*Diabetics can’t eat sweets or chocolates
Small quantities of sweets and chocolates are occasionally OK as a part of a healthy eating and physical activity plan.
*Diabetics have to eat special foods
Like everyone, people with diabetes have to eat healthy. That means a diet low in saturated fat and high in fibre and whole-grain foods.
*You can never catch diabetes
You can never catch diabetes. It is not contagious like cold and cough.
People can have a “touch of diabetes”You can’t have mild or borderline diabetes. All diabetes is serious and, if not managed properly, can lead to serious complications.

Disclaimer: All opinions and Information published here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. If you are a patient, please see your doctor for evaluation of your individual case. Under no circumstances will the authors be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with use of this website

School kids to get kits to detect diabetes early

This article was published in Times of India on Nov 12, 2008
After three months of falling ill constantly, a CBSE school student recently found that her blood sugar has caught up to 550

“The diagnosis that she was diabetic was made after three months. This goes to show that awareness about diabetes is very low in school. We want to try and turn this situation around,” said Dr Vijay Viswanathan, Head, MV hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes research centre, at the launch of ‘Slim and Fit’ program for students.

“Under this initiative, we will be distributing small kits worth Rs 1,500 to the 112 CBSE schools and 12 Kendriya Vidyalayas. Each kit will contain a glucometer and several educational charts explaining the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes and illustrating a food pyramid. We also have material to help teacher’s measure obesity in children. We will train school authorities on how they can use these kits,” he added.

The diabetologist cited a study the centre conducted among school students in the city from October 2007 to March 2008, which measured trends for obesity among students from lower socio-economical schools (LSES) to higher socio-economical schools (HSES). “Around 300 students between 8 and 18 years of age were studied from LSES and HSES. It was found that 22% of girls from HSES were overweighed when compared to 9% from those of LSES. Similarly for boys it was found to be 13% and 7% respectively. On analyzing the reason for obesity among children, we found it was entirely due to lifestyle changes. Students from HSES engaged in less physical activities and watched TV for more time than those from LSES,” he said.

Referring to the success of a similar program in Singapore three years ago, Dr Viswanathan said it had effected changes in the school curriculum, canteen policies and infrastructure. School authorities choose to install drinking water taps all over the school to discourage students from drinking fizzy soft drinks, he added.

“We are concerned about the health of our students and have issued circulars to CBSE schools requesting that they substitute junk food in canteens with healthy alternatives. In fact, we hope that the sahodaya cluster (group of schools in different regions of the city) will take up the issue at their meetings,” said S Nagaraju , regional director, CBSE.

Explaining the link between blood sugar and diabetes, Shreya Ganguly, a student of class XI at St John’s secondary school, Mandaveli, said “We prepared for the event with the help of information from internet. Together with the talks conducted here, we do have a greater awareness about the importance of cutting down junk foods.”

Disclaimer: All opinions and Information published here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. If you are a patient, please see your doctor for evaluation of your individual case. Under no circumstances will the authors be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with use of this website.

Feet First

Source: Times of India
The boots of the city's policemen, part of the uniform introduced by the British, are now a major worry for them. Around 80% of police personnel in the city, according to sources at the police hospital, either have vascular problems or develop corns because of these boots.

They are unsuitable for the city's weather conditions and cause conditions like varicosis (enlargement of varicose vein which circulates blood from the legs) and varicose ulcers. The latter ailment, like diabetic ulcers, could lead to amputation if not treated on time, sources told TOI.

"The badly-fitting boots obstruct the re-flow of blood from the legs. Compounding this is the excess sweating caused by the boots of inferior quality leather. This leads to skin irritation which then turns into rashes and wounds, causing ulcers. We perform varicose ulcer surgeries on a weekly basis," a doctor at the police hospital said.

Police personnel, especially those in the lower ranks, are forced to wear these boots, sourced and supplied to them by the department.

Given that varicose ulcer is a major health hazard, policemen with the problem are urged to get admitted to hospital and undergo treatment. "We dress up the wound if it is at the beginning stage and make them lie down with their legs lifted up. They need a fair amount of rest in this position," doctor said.

More hospitalizations mean more trouble for the already short-staffed city police. "Some of the sick policemen approach us for postings at police outposts in hospitals so that they can get medical aid fast," a senior official said.

"The boots are of poor quality and often we do not get boots of our size. Some of those that are of the correct size do not fit properly. The leather is also of inferior quality. We are forced to wear these boots for long hours and very often we get skin rashes due to excess sweating in the extreme hot climate," a constable said.

Many constables told TOI that they dumped the boots provided by the department and bought better products from the open market. "We spend money from our pocket and purchase boots in the open market. Many of us have suffered from these boots for the past few years and we do not want to take anymore risks. The authorities are aware of the problem but they are not ready to rectify it," an inspector said.

To tackle these kinds of problems MV Hospital for Diabetes and Diabetes Research Centre, Royapuram Chennai headed by Dr Vijay Viswanathan provides routine integrated examination of the feet of diabetic patients. New types of foot wear are prepared at M.V.Hospital, Royapuram with technical assistance from Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Chennai for diabetic patients with foot complications.

Also special foot wear made up of new types of insole materials for patients with high risk foot. Lightweight, inexpensive and aesthetically appealing, this footwear will be extremely beneficial to diabetes that require specialized footwear to prevent pressure points on the feet from developing into calluses and ulcers that could get infected.

Disclaimer: All opinions and Information published here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. If you are a patient, please see your doctor for evaluation of your individual case. Under no circumstances will the authors be liable to you for any direct or indirect damages arising in connection with use of this website