Walk too sweet to pass up

According to spokesperson, Rennie Naidoo, it has never been more important to raise awareness, as the rate of children affected by this disease is increasing alarmingly.

The Walk for Health, a 2.5km walk, has recently been introduced by the organisation, and will see men and women of all ages take part in a weekly fun walk to kick-start this lifestyle change programme.

Naidoo emphasised that it is a walk, and that change comes slowly – but taking the first step in the right direction, is the biggest achievement.

The fun walk is designed to be interactive and encouraging.

“It is our duty as a community, as well as parents, to provide the right education for the younger generations. Moreover we need to warn them about the health implications that obesity and diabetes [have] on our daily lives,” added Naidoo.

She said busy schedules and hectic lives often mean people turn to convenient fast food; and exercise becomes a non-essential aspect of our lives.

The organisation also wants to encourage a change in how people think about food, health, exercise and the disease itself.

According to Naidoo, their main vision is to reverse type 2 diabetes in the country. Type 2 diabetes affects both children and adults, and is often caused by poor health choices.

“The disease causes blood glucose levels in your body to spike higher than normal and is a chronic problem, people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes often experience [increased]… weight gain, high blood pressure, as well as hyper-tension [and] the risk of heart attacks,” she said.

According to Naidoo, this disease is a silent killer as it often goes undiagnosed. People need to inform those they care about before it is too late, she said.

Details: Saturdays 8.30 am, Sunninghill Gardens, Taiti Road; or Mondays, 5:30pm, Buccleuch, Buccleuch Primary School, Beatty Street.