Accra, Nov 6, GNA – The National Diabetes Association of Ghana, has advised keep fit clubs, groups, and individuals to desist from taking in alcohol after embarking on a health walk or exercise, as this is not a healthy practice.
Mr Stephen Cofie, the National Vice President of the Association, said people tried to exercise to burn down fat, but as soon as they were done they took in alcohol which was not good and advised them to take in water and fruits after exercise.
Mr Cofie, made the observation during a health walk exercise organized by the National Diabetes Association of Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to create awareness on World Diabetes Day in Accra.
The health walk, which started from the Obra Spot and ended at the Accra Sports Stadium with an aerobics witnessed individuals, groups, keep fit clubs participating in the exercise.
The 2021 World Diabetes Day celebration scheduled to take place on November 14, is on the theme “Access to Diabetes Care”.
He said “It is good to exercise but what you take in after you have burned the fat or lost some energy is important and alcohol would not help but rather add more disease to your system, which can be hypertension, diabetes and even destroy the kidney”.
“Taking too much alcohol could prevent you from reaping the rewards from all the work you have put in to the exercise”, he added.
He revealed that there were about three million diabetes patients in Ghana, adding that it was worrying as the number kept increasing and urged people to change their unhealthy lifestyles, promote physical activities, have healthy diet as an effective and low cost means to prevent diabetes.
“Eating timely and taking every opportunity to do some form of exercise, at home or wherever one finds him or herself would help reduce cases of diabetes as well as prolong life.
“This is a silent killer disease and its complications were serious, which could lead to blindness, amputation, loss of kidneys, sexually impotent, and could also lead to cardiovascular disease.
“It is therefore important that Ghanaians take precaution on certain unhealthy lifestyles to stay healthy,” Mr Cofie advised.
Ms Mariam Yussif, an individual participating in the exercise, told the Ghana News Agency, she would make physical exercise more regular in her daily routine to stay healthy.
Mr Fosu Owusu, a member of Lekma Keep Fit Club, said though regular exercise was difficult, he would try to do it and was grateful to the Association for organizing health walk every year.
According to statistics by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 463 million adults (1-in-11) were living with diabetes in 2019, indicating that the number of people living with diabetes was expected rise to 578 million by 2030.
World Diabetes Day, marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.
It is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over one billion people in more than 160 countries.
The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.
GNA