DIABETES cases in the country are reaching alarming proportions. At the Dewan Rakyat last week, it was mentioned that at least 11 out of every 100 Malaysians suffer from this disease. Over the last five years, there has been a 27 per cent increase in the number of diabetes cases.
The number of children afflicted with diabetes is also showing an upward trend, with 1,305 cases reported in 2004 compared with 837 in 1999.
Diabetes Type 2 is strongly linked to high sugar consumption and obesity. In view of our country’s alarming diabetes rate, which is expected to rise steadily, urgent steps need to be taken.
The Consumers’ Association of Penang urges the Health Ministry to work with other ministries to take the following action: -To require manufacturers to amend their labels to show the amount of sugar in their food. This information must be understood easily by consumers. The sugar content could be shown graphically in terms of the number of teaspoons of sugar. (One teaspoon is equivalent to 5g.)
The guideline on sugar consumption is that it should not exceed 50g a day.
Daily sugar intake can come from many sources. CAP has found that some products, such as certain brands of fizzy drinks, contain about seven teaspoons of sugar.
The consumption of just one can of this drink in a day will result in a person’s sugar consumption almost reaching the maximum limit. With this improved labelling, consumers can see the amount of sugar they are consuming and adjust their habits accordingly.Parents must play their role in ensuring that highly-sugared products and sweets are not stocked in their homes.
An environment that is conducive for individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices should be created.
This is critical when it comes to the younger generation.
July 7th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
SUGAR is not the enemy here!!!
The main problem is not sugars added to foods and drinks!!! It is the CARBOHYDRATE content of lots of foods.
As a diabetic I have learned to count the grams of carbohydrate in foods and do so very carefully. I work hard at keeping the grams of carb to 30 or less per meal.
The USA Food Pyramid recommends 8 to 11 servings of grains and cereals per day!! They insist that this is healthy. BUT it is these same grains and cereals that cause us to gain weight. And gaining weight with someone in the family having diabetes is equal to hurrying up the disease in one self!!
We must teach the children to eat a balance of 1/3 each protein foods, fatty foods, and carbohydrate foods. We must teach them that eating a lot of starchy carbohydrates just makes them fatter and fatter.
The children should be eating a 2 to 3 ounce serving of protein food like fish, chicken, beef, lamb, etc. And a large fresh vegetable salad made up of mostly dark green leafy things. Tomatoes are good on this. Crispy tart fruits are more preferable than soft sweet ones. They don’t have the higher sugar content.
You must teach in the schools what carbohydrates are and how to read the labels that are already on products.
July 7th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Get tested and if the numbers are high…
Avoid sugar until you learn what you should and should not eat, as far as diabetes is concerned. Then decide if sugar is even a necessary thing in your life.
July 7th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Sue is absolutely right. Sugar does not cause diabetes. It doesn’t contribute to devloping diabetes.
I’m not certain what study (if any) you are quoting because there is no scientific evidential basis for what you have stated. In fact, your body turns everything you eat into glucose (sugar), which is required for you to survive.
Type 2 diabetes is NOT linked with high sugar consumption. Obesity yes, but not sugar consumption. Indirectly, perhaps eating too much sugar might cause obesity, but at 4 calories a gram, it’s way less calorie dense than fat, at 9 calories a gram.
Heredity, lifestyle, stress, obesity, medications, and age are contributing factors.
July 7th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
my hubby is a newly diagnosed diabetic and we find that the real problem is not sugar as much as Carbs. However, I ate the same foods that he eats and if anything my glucose level is on the low side, so go figure!! You are right though about consuming all that horrible sugar in sodas. that should stop