Advice for heart, hepatitis, diabetes patients: 'Avoid junk foods and exercise regularly'

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Advice for heart, hepatitis, diabetes patients: ‘Avoid junk foods and exercise regularly’

LAHORE: Obesity can cause heart disease among children. Parents must avoid giving them junk food and attention should be paid towards regular exercise. Diabetes and high-blood pressure are ‘evil sisters,’ posing a huge threat to patients’ lives.Experts gave this advice at a seminar organised by the Anujuman-e-Hussania Khwajagan on Sunday. The seminar aimed at creating awareness among people about various diseases, including hepatitis, diabetes and cardiac problems. Dr Maqbool Hussain, a cardiologist from Karachi, said that obesity among children was a serious issue. He said many parents liked children with bulky bodies. Parents thus tend to overfeed their children, which results in extra weight. He said arteries of fat children grew thick with the passage of time, with high chances of blood clotting. “This also increases the probability of cardiac arrest at the age of 30 to 40,” he said. Dr Maqbool said that a majority of children used computer these days and avoided physical activities, which made them dull, lazy and fat. “Parents should ask their children to play outdoor games,” he said. He said that most people were suffering from high-blood pressure and most of them were unaware of this. Dr Imran, hepatitis expert, said people should adopt hygienic measures to thwart the disease. He said studies had proved that hepatitis was more prevalent in unhygienic areas. Imran said hepatitis A and D were food-borne. Unsafe water mostly caused the diseases. He said water should be boiled for 20 to 25 minutes before drinking. Dr Ali Jawa said that a diabetes patient must be careful about his diet. Like a heart patient, he said, a diabetic should take exercise regularly and remember that ‘prevention is better than cure.’Prizes for participation: The seminar organisers gave away prizes to the guests. The invitation card for the seminar had read “special gifts for those who arrive early.” Prizes, including books, calendars and stationery etc, were distributed among the visitors. The seminar’s organising committee said that 300 gifts had been distributed among the guests. staff report

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