Our biggest killer is now a lifestyle: the fix is ten boring minutes a day
Diabetes has overtaken TB and HIV as South Africa’s leading natural cause of death, and in Durban the warning signs are already showing up in people in their thirties, writes Sanjith Hannuman.
In South Africa, diabetes has surpassed tuberculosis and HIV as the leading natural cause of death. In Durban, the warning signs are already apparent in people in their thirties. A 34-year-old man in Chatsworth will need a prescription he never expected, as a blood test revealed a condition that will affect his working life. Diabetes mellitus, along with cerebrovascular disease and hypertensive disease, now ranks as the top three natural killers in the country.
The leading factors contributing to these conditions are related to lifestyle choices, such as sleep, diet, physical activity, and stress management. A study conducted in Durban found that 68% of patients screened had pre-diabetes, with the Indian community being the most susceptible at 62.7%. The national average in 2016 was 68% for women and roughly a third of men for overweight or obesity.
The cost of this to the country was estimated at 15.4% of all government health expenditure in 2020. Diabetes is not only a health concern but also a financial burden. In the author's practice, disability and critical illness claims that once appeared in the late fifties now occur in the mid-forties. This issue goes beyond health; it impacts households and their financial stability.
Unlike the past, when people followed a routine without modern conveniences, today's lifestyle involves working long hours and attempting to recover on weekends through intense workouts or restrictive diets. This pattern is detrimental to the body, which responds better to consistent daily habits rather than occasional efforts. The concept of dinacharya, or aligning daily life with the body's natural cycles, dates back to Ayurveda.
Aligning daily routines with the body's natural rhythms is suggested as a simpler and more effective approach to maintaining health. The author emphasizes that the discipline our grandparents practiced without naming it is now corroborated by scientific research. Three key papers highlight the importance of consistency in sleep, stress management, and regular physical activity.
The myth of forming a habit in 21 days is debunked by a study conducted by Phillippa Lally and colleagues, which found that it typically takes around 66 days for a behavior to become automatic. Regular sleep patterns and wake times have been shown to lower the risk of death from any cause and cardiometabolic death by 20% to 48%.
Disrupted sleep patterns, particularly among shift workers, have been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. A simple intervention, such as taking a 10-minute walk after meals, has been found to improve glucose control better than a single long walk. The prescription for better health is ten minutes a day, focusing on regular sleep, stress management, and moderate physical activity.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
