In a run-up to World Diabetes Day 2015, Sanofi and Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI) had organised walkathon for creating awareness about diabetes in Lucknow on November 1, 2015. More than 1000 doctors from across India, diabetes patients and well-wishers participated in a 3 km Mega Walkathon in Lucknow to spread the message of leading an active lifestyle for diabetes prevention, management and control.
Through this Walkathon, Sanofi and RSSDI (the largest organisation of diabetes healthcare professionals and researchers in Asia) shared the message that a physically active lifestyle contributes significantly to more effective management of diabetes. The partners also emphasised that the growing incidence of diabetes in India could be slowed if people understood more clearly how a change in lifestyle and the inclusion of daily exercise could help in diabetes prevention.
Diabetes is a scourge and a national challenge, which is increasing in gravity year on year. Research has established lifestyle change as a critical and proven intervention tool to prevent the spread of diabetes.
RSSDI’s 2015 recommendations for diabetes management emphasise that people with pre-diabetes should modify their lifestyle by trying to lose at least 5-10 percent weight if they are overweight and they should walk for at least 150 minutes every week. RSSDI guidelines highlight the positive impact of walking on how the body utilises insulin and helps to control blood sugar.
