Latest update March 29th, 2025 5:11 AM
Region Three Health and Wellness Club looking to expand efforts to help combat diabetes
The importance of knowing your Body Mass Index (BMI) cannot be understated when it comes to maintaining one’s health. It was for this reason that this was one of the issues that was addressed when the Region Three Health and Wellness Club held a mini fair at the Parika Health Centre on Friday.
Members of the Region Three Health and Wellness Club in the company of Peace Corps Volunteers display a banner highlighting the risk factors for diabetes.
The event was one done to observe World Diabetes Day which was held under the theme “Healthy Living and Diabetes”.
BMI is the ratio of a person’s weight to height which is used to classify whether that person is healthy or not. According to health professionals, if a person’s bodyweight is at least 20 per cent higher than it should be, he or she is considered obese.
And several persons were placed in this category when their BMIs were calculated by members of the Health and Wellness Club on Friday. They were supported by volunteers of the Peace Corps.
Aside from being obese, some of the other risk factors for diabetes include: lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar level and a family history of diabetes.
At the mini fair some of the services persons were offered included blood pressure and blood sugar testing in addition to their BMI calculation. These were done in addition to individual counselling sessions which were intended to raise awareness about the measures that can be taken to stave off the disease.
And in order to fully embrace its mission to ensure that people receive correct and adequate information on prevention and management of health conditions, the Health and Wellness Club has plans to sustain and expand its outreach efforts across the Region in order to help curb the prevalence of diabetes.
According to the World Health Organisation, the burden of diabetes is increasing globally. This is particularly evident in developing countries like Guyana. It has been highlighted by the WHO too that while the causes are complex, the increase to a large part is due to rapid increases in overweight, including obesity, and physical inactivity.
And according to WHO, “there is good evidence that a large proportion of cases of diabetes and its complications can be prevented by ensuring healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco.” These are however not widely implemented, WHO has noted.
It is therefore required that coordinated international and national policies are needed to reduce exposure to the known risk factors for diabetes and to improve access to and quality of care.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
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