Diabetes-Obesity Link Highlighted At World Diabetes Day
By Maya Salleh

Bandar Seri Begawan - The world will observe World Diabetes Day 2004 on November 14 and this year's celebration slogan is "Fight Obesity Prevent Diabetes" as the campaign aims to concentrate on one of the major risk factors for type 2 diabetes, obesity.

World Diabetes Day is the primary global diabetes awareness campaign and therefore the ideal occasion to inform the public, healthcare professionals, policy-makers and the media about the strong link between being overweight, obesity and diabetes.

It is also a valuable means through which people with diabetes can improve their knowledge of the condition so they are able to live full and healthy lives.

The Ministry of Health earlier this month launched a campaign to counter the obesity problem especially among young children where Pehin Dato Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, the Minister, revealed that obesity among children has increased to an alarming rate in the country compared to other Asean member countries.

He also revealed the statistics from the first National Dietary Status Research (1995-1996), which showed that 17.8 per cent of young boys were obese, while the rate is 8 per cent for young girls.

The research also showed that 12 per cent of boys and 10.8 per cent of girls nationwide between 6 and 9 years old have high cholesterol.

In participating in the commemoration of World Diabetes Day 2004, awareness of the adversity of obesity can be highlighted and the public's knowledge can be raised in order for them to learn to live healthily. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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