BANDAR
SERI BEGAWAN, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Around 44 percent of diabetic cases in Brunei
are undiagnosed, which means that more than 20,000 Bruneians are unknowingly
living with diabetes, according to a research conducted by Brunei's health
ministry.
In a
statement issued Friday, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said that 12.4 percent of
adults have diabetes in Brunei, which is the leading cause of blindness, kidney
disease and amputations among Bruneian adults.
People
with diabetes are also two to four times more likely to experience heart
attacks and strokes, the ministry said.
In its
statement, the MoH said almost 90 percent of people living with Type 2 diabetes
are overweight or obese, which is defined as having a body mass index or BMI of
30 or greater.
In
Brunei, six in 10 adults are overweight and obese, making the country the
"fattest" in ASEAN.
However,
obesity is no longer a condition that just affects older people in Brunei as
the number of younger people being diagnosed with obesity has been increasing,
the MoH said.
"Among
our children, 33 percent are overweight and 18 percent are obese," said
the statement.
"Without
a change in our behavior, the number of obese adults in the country is forecast
to soar. This will prove devastating for the country and pose a real barrier
towards our national development," the ministry said.
To
prevent diabetes, the MoH said the most important measure one can take is to
have a healthy diet and to exercise regularly in the form of 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity such as brisk walking, cycling and swimming every
day.
The
ministry also urged those who are overweight and at risk of diabetes to get
tested by a doctor.
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