LIFESTYLE CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASE IN DIABETES

By Arnel Chitundu

ZAMBIANS should abandon a sedentary kind of lifestyle if we are to witness a decrease in diabetes cases in the country, a young Preventative Cardiovascular Health Specialist has advised.

Speaking to The Scoop, Chileleko Mapiki attributed the rise in diabetic cases to poor lifestyle exacerbated by bad diet and lack of exercise.

Dr. Mapiki called on parents to be cautious of what foods their children were consuming and also stay active at all times.

 “Watching one’s diet cannot be overemphasized. Refraining from consuming energy drinks and junk foods are ways that will help people manage their lifestyle in a healthy way,” Dr. Mapiki explained, adding that the norm that Zambians did not exercise was wrong and must be swiftly corrected.

 “We must consume local traditional foods that contain more vegetables and less fat,” he added.

 He appealed to all Zambians to engage in at least 30 minutes to one hour of exercises daily, refrain from using elevators, and start using stairs, despite it not being culturally normal in Zambia.

“Adopting aerobics as a lifestyle is key in reducing overweight among many people,” he noted.

 He called on the Government to come up with policies that supported and encouraged good lifestyle, especially exercising in schools and places of work.

 Health Minister, Sylvia Masebo has disclosed an increase in the number of diabetes cases in the country, with an estimation that 11. 9 percent of the population under the age group of 20 to 79 year olds have the disease.