About Town | Sweet Escape 2018 - An Awareness To Fight Diabetes
Finally an event creating an awareness to fight Diabetes is upon us. DiabetEASE Magazine’s advocacy event Sweet Escape held its second leg of
tour this year at the Activity Center of Starmall, Alabang to
spread awareness to the this disease.
Diabetes remains as a global
risk with 422 million people affected worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO)
reports that the diabetes prevalence has been rapidly increasing, especially in
middle- and low- income countries.
The Philippines is among the
countries with the highest diabetes prevalence. In fact, it has been considered
as one of the 'diabetes hotspots' in the Western Pacific Region, ranking fifth
in the number of diabetics.
When the Philippine population
was only 65 million, there were already 3.9 million diabetic Filipinos. Now
that the current population has risen up to 100 million, local experts estimate
that the diabetes morbidity among Filipinos has also increased to more than 5
million.
While a cure for diabetes
remains elusive to date, treatment, facilitated by healthy lifestyle, has been
proven to have a significant effect in making a diabetes patient's life
comfortable.
Sweet
Escape in Manila
Friendly
Alliances and Media Expressions (FAME) Inc., publisher of DiabetEASE Magazine, recognizes the important
role healthy lifestyle plays in the management of diabetes. That's why five
years ago, it has embarked on an activity that would change the way Filipino
diabetics live—the Sweet Escape.
Sweet Escape is a yearly
advocacy event which is geared towards promoting awareness on diabetes and
encouraging patients to live an active and well-managed lifestyle even with
diabetes. For five consecutive years, the event has paved the way for patients
and their family members in Metro Manila to experience a whole day of
fun-filled activities that do not only entertain but also educate.
This year, FAME Inc., aims to
establish stronger bridges to reach more Filipinos dealing with diabetes.
This huge step is a new milestone
reached for FAME Inc., and it had prepared an even wider range of anticipating
activities just for its participants. It successfully launched its first leg in
Mandaue City, Cebu last April. It’s Davao City leg is scheduled on the latter
part of this year.
The Father of Philippine
Endocrinology Dr. Augusto D. Litonjua
talked about the state of diabetes prevalence in the Philippines.
He said that despite having a
lot of medicines against diabetes, more and more people are still at risk of
having the disease.
The endocrinologist added that
it is high time to change the strategy of fighting the disease. “Instead of
focusing on treatment, probably we should concentrate on the prevention,” he
said.
As what he always says, one
must keep in mind that diabetes main culprit are the three Ks—Katamaran (Laziness), Katakawan (Glutonny), and Katabaan (Obesity).
“Diabetes mellitus is now what
we call as the epidemic of modern civilization. Be aware of what diabetes is,
be empowered to know how to prevent it, and then together we can beat diabetes,”
he said.
Also in the event was DiabetEASE Magazine’s editor-in-chief and
endocrinologist Dr. Joy Arabelle
Fontanilla, who delivered key
points about the magazine’s advocacy as well as latest updates on diabetes
management and prevention.
She clarified that it is not an alternative to consultation
or to doctors or dietician as it only gives guidance in prevention and
management of the disease.
Dr. Fontanilla also reminded the public to seek for
consultation if there are occurring symptoms of the disease such as obesity,
unhealthy lifestyle, and if they have relatives with diabetes.
Meanwhile, Dr. Aurora Macaballug, Board Member of the Philippine Society of
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism discussed about the importance of
physical fitness in the fight against diabetes.
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO) about 31 percent of the global population aging 15 years old
and up are inactive. In 2008, it was also reported that there were 3.2 Million
deaths each year is associated with physical inactivity.
Dr. Macaballug said that in the
Philippines, 1 out 5 is overweight while 3 out 10 are obese, which are the
leading effects of lack of exercise.
“Physical inactivity is a
global problem,” she said, adding that deciding to shift into a healthier
lifestyle is the key to prevent impending diseases such as diabetes,
hypertension, and even cancer.
She said, “Exercise boosts HDL
or “good” cholesterol and decreases the bad, which we call triglyceride. It
also prevents stroke, metabolic syndrome, tyoe 2 diabetes, depression,
arthritis and falls.”
Dr. Macaballug added that to
lower the risks of these diseases, one must have at least 2.5 hours of
moderate-intensity exercise.
Meanwhile, partners shared
their insights on how to achieve a healthy lifestyle through their brands.
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About
FAME Inc.
FAME Inc. is the publisher of
Health and Lifestyle, DiabetEASE, ZEN
Health, and Travel Plus magazines. It aims to promote good health, healthy
lifestyle, sound Christian values, and professional excellence among doctors,
healthcare professionals, legislators, and the laymen.
About
DiabetEASE Magazine
The DiabetEASE magazine is dedicated to bringing to Filipino people a life
lived well even with diabetes. It consists of the latest news and discoveries
on diabetes, inspiring diabetes stories from real-life patients, food tips and
recipes, dos and don’ts, and just about everything you need to know for a
diabetes-friendly lifestyle.