The truth about diabetes.

This radio programme explores the global epidemic of diabetes, highlighting Sri Lanka in South East Asia as the epicentre. With the issue of corporate and civilian accountability in mind, presenter Anu Anand discusses medical and political strategies for the management of a growing population with the medical condition. Nutritionist, Chaya Ranasinghe, gives an insight into the effects of poor diet within Sri Lanka; one of the possible causes of the rise in Type 2 diabetes, which, unlike Type 1, is related to lifestyle and food consumption. Ranasinghe suggests that Metformin, the drug used to suppress the symptoms of diabetes, should be used in tandem with lifestyle changes. However, the city infrastructure does not widely support exercise. Professor Chandrika Wijeyaratne considers that there is a genetic basis for the increasing levels of diabetes as a result of being a society of plenty. To emphasise the lack of education surrounding the condition, which for many sufferers remains unknown, Anand explores her own risk factors. While diabetes is a problem in urban spaces, various medical professionals in diabetes clinics around Sri Lanka explain that the problem is also prevalent within rural communities. With such a growing number of diabetes patients, market pathways have opened up for products that aid their ailments such as fashionable shoes. Although these developments attempt to make life more comfortable for the sufferers, various professionals within industries such as those in pre-natal care discuss the responsibility that women of childbearing age have for their own health and the prevention of foetal diabetes developing in the womb.