Survey reveals that Chennai has the highest number of diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar

If you are in Chennai and have diabetes, chances are you may be eating more rice or other carbohydrates than is recommended.

An eight-city survey conducted between June and August this year has revealed that at 84 per cent, Chennai has the maximum number of diabetics who have more than 60 per cent of carbohydrates on their meal plates. The city also has the highest number of diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar at 87 per cent, according to the survey.

Commissioned by healthcare company Abbot and conducted by market research agency IPSOS, the survey had 4,150 respondents across eight cities, including Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram, said Shubhranshu Das, executive director (marketing) at IPSOS.

“The survey looked at people between the ages of 36 and 65, who had Type 2 diabetes and had been diagnosed for over 18 months. Sixty per cent of the respondents were women and the rest men,” he said.

So why all the carbs? “India in general has a carbohydrate-heavy diet. We eat carbs three times a day. Our research has shown that 48 per cent of our total daily calorie intake comes from white rice. And rice apart, we have other carbohydrates too – all this is linked to the obesity and diabetes epidemic in the country,” said V. Mohan, chairman, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre. This large intake of rice, Dr. Mohan explained, is also linked to higher blood sugar levels – it increases the release of insulin, draining out more from the pancreas and exhausting the organ’s cells.

At 75 per cent of carbohydrates consumed on an average as per the survey, Chennai also seems to have the most imbalanced of meal plates: as per the National Institute of Nutrition’s dietary guidelines for Indians, a balanced diet should provide 50 to 60 per cent of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates, about 10 to 15 per cent from proteins and 20 to 30 per cent from both visible and invisible fat. It should also provide dietary fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

“Brown rice, high fibre rice with a low glycemic index and more vegetables and pulses are recommended for those with diabetes. Increase the protein content on your plate: either with chicken, fish and egg whites or with pulses, grams, tofu and mushrooms,” said Dr. Mohan.

In moderation, rice is not bad, said R. Sundararaman, head of internal medicine and diabetology at SRM Institutes for Medical Science. “But follow a ratio of three cups of vegetables for every one cup of rice,” he said.

In addition to the amount of carbohydrates Chennaiites consume, the survey also threw up another alarming result: of the 408 respondents from Chennai, 63 per cent were overweight or obese and only 25 per cent stated that they exercised.

“Exercise is a must. I recommend 30 to 45 minutes of walking at least five days a week to burn about 300 to 400 calories. It’s not just diet that’s important, exercise is essential too, which many seem to forget,” said Dr. Sundararaman.