The Diabetes Foundation of St. Maarten will be having its 14th Annual Diabetes Fair at the Belair Community Center, opposite the Medical Center in Cay Hill, on Saturday
The two-day fair actually kicks off on Friday with an information session for men.
President of Parliament Hon. drs. Gracita Arrindell is calling on the community to attend the activities that have been organized and to gather as much information about diabetes with respect to how to enjoy a quality healthy lifestyle while living with diabetes.
The theme of the fair is "Education is the key to knowledge…so come to the FAIR and find out how to live well with diabetes."
The fair on Saturday is at the Belair Community Center from 9.00am to 12.00 noon where there will be diabetes information sessions for English-speaking persons, including a session with a podiatrist (foot care specialist).
The number of people with high blood pressure and diabetes is drastically increasing in both developed and developing countries, according to a United Nations (UN) report.
The World Health Organizations (WHO) World Health Statistics 2012 report, which includes data from 194 countries, states that one in three adults worldwide has raised blood pressure and one in 10 suffers from diabetes.
With respect to diabetes, the global average prevalence is around 10 per cent, with up to one third of populations in some Pacific Island countries having this condition.
Left untreated, diabetes can lead to cardiovascular disease, blindness and kidney failure.
An increase in obesity is also highlighted in the report as being a major health risk. Half a billion people, 12 per cent of the world’s population is considered obese. The highest obesity levels are in the Americas, with 26 per cent of adults suffering from obesity, and the lowest in the South-East Asian region, where only three per cent of the population is obese.
In all parts of the world, women are more likely to be obese than men, making them more vulnerable to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
"Statistics don’t lie. They create a picture of a certain timeframe about diabetes and obesity, which are linked. I commend the Diabetes Foundation of St. Maarten for their annual organization of their fair and I encourage the community to inform themselves about diabetes by visiting the fair on Saturday, where they will receive a wealth of information about the subject," President of Parliament Hon. drs. Gracita Arrindell said on Thursday.