 Associate Professor Kirsten Coppell, a specialist in public health medicine particularly focussed on diabetes, spoke to the assembled members plus a few others via zoom. Her Topic was “How to avoid diabetes”. Kirsten was concerned that the pandemic of prediabetes is largely ignored compared to the response to COVID. She stated that it was important to avoid diabetes because it led to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, liver disease and other health complications. Kirsten noted that not everyone with pre diabetes developed full diabetes. Her concern was greatest for younger people who identified with prediabetes and that they could change the outcome by changing their lifestyle. For older folk, in their eighties for example, there was less time for type 2 diabetes to develop and therefor less urgency to change things. There is no one cause of prediabetes. However, being overweight appears to have a strong link to
prediabetes. Kirstern estimated that a third of the population could be prediabetic and that few
take serious action to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Whilst there is no single cause,
diet, genes and lifestyle are significant factors. Unhealthy foods, portion size and unhealthy drinks
can be managed. Some folk have genes that mean they are more prone to develop the disease. Life
style such as exercise and choices in environment can assist people to remain healthy. Risks around
the prevalence and convenience of fast foods, the use of cars, advertising and social events all
present challenges to healthy living. The solution for each person at risk can be different. Peoples
opportunities can be influenced by income, social environment, support or the lack of it. The keys
seem to be to eat less, eat wisely, exercise more and look for good opportunities. Kirsten was
especially concerned about the negative environment for unhealthy eating confronting children. |
