The Straits Times reports Health Promotion Board (HPB) chief executive Zee Yoong Kang highlighting Asians as being more predisposed to diabetes than Caucasians. People at risk may not be obese and starchy white rice spikes blood sugar levels and heighten the risk of diabetes.
Zee presented a meta-analysis of four major studies which showed that a plate of white rice eaten per day regularly raises diabetes risk by 11 per cent in the overall population. He suggests switching to long grain white rice and adding brown rice to white rice – “Just increase the quantity of whole grain and brown rice.”
This will be familiar advice to diabetics but the wider audience should be aware as non-obese individuals can be at risk too, and Singapore has a very high proportion of diabetics in its population. Most jobs immobilises us on a daily basis and lifestyle and diet changes are necessary to preempt diabetes. To learn more, see the HPB page on diabetes.
In a related article, Dr Annie Ling of HPB advised that “exercise is important in reducing the risk of getting diabetes. Just a 15- minute walk every day can cut the risk of dying of the condition by 4 per cent.”
In relation to this, we restarted the NUS Walking Club to help encourage daily activity amongst staffers by introducing walk routes and the camaraderie of walking together. We hope to increase the frequency from once a month to fortnightly sessions once exam grading is over.
More at The Straits Times.
Tan Chuan-Jin also highlighted this MOH webpage and flyer on Facebook.
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