40 November 2013 www.bahrainthismonth.com happeningsthismonth November 14 is celebrated worldwide as World Diabetes Day, commemorating the birthday of Sir Frederick Grant Banting, the primary discoverer of insulin. In Bahrain, insurer Bahrain National Life Insurance (bnl) is spearheading an awareness campaign with a walkathon on November 22 to mobilise people towards this cause. The Walk for Life event will be held on the 3km circular walkway adjacent to the Mövenpick Hotel. “We’re inviting all our customers, old and young, to walk and raise awareness about the importance of lifestyle changes in managing diabetes. If we have a good response, we can turn this into an annual event,” says bnl general manager, Robert Grey. Improvements in lifestyle such as a balanced diet and regular exercise are proven to help prevent and control diabetes. According to the World Health Organisation, Bahrain ranks fifth worldwide in terms of diabetes prevalence and, what is worse, more youngsters in Bahrain are Type 2 diabetics. Interestingly, half of the people worldwide who have diabetes don’t know they have it. bnl has been active in diabetes screening since 2011, when it joined with Al Kindi Hospital, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Bahrain Diabetes Society to launch a bus to test school children for diabetes. “Our findings over the last six months indicate that the prevalence of diabetes among school children is higher that we had thought earlier. Our youngsters are proving more susceptible to this condition and it’s time we sat up and took notice,” says Robert. “Type 1 diabetes can reduce lifespan by up to 20 years while Type 2 can decrease your lifespan by a decade owing to the complications it brings.” The ‘Walk for Life’ event is being held in collaboration with Bahrain Diabetes Society, Fitness First, Al Jazira Supermarket and BMI. Participants need to send an email to bnl to secure their registration. The event will kick off at 4pm and walkers can collect their T-shirt and green apples by 3pm from the venue. bnl also aims to raise funds during the event for the Bahrain Diabetes Society for starting insulin Pump therapy for children with diabetes. Insulin pumps are small portable devices (about the same size as a pack of cards) attached to the body that delivers insulin into the layer of fat that sits just below the skin (subcutaneous tissue). They are seen as a better alternative to insulin injections as they reduce the need for multiple insulin jabs per day and give the user increased ability to control blood glucose levels. Because the insulin pump stays connected to the body, it allows the wearer to modify the amount of insulin they take within the press of a few buttons at any time of the day or to program in a higher or lower rate of insulin delivery to occur at a chosen time, which can be when sleeping. E To register email [email protected]. Take action this month and join hands to raise awareness about the silent pandemic of diabetes in the Kingdom. A Balanced Approach When? November 22 | Event? Diabetes Walkathon | Venue? Dohat Arad walk for 2013 DIABETES
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