Body Mass Index and waist circumference measurements were made at the event

The “14 November World Diabetes Day” event was organised by the Nutrition and Dietetics Club, which operates under the European University of Lefke (EUL) Social and Cultural Activities Centre.

Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Turkish and Club Advisor Asst. Prof. Dr. Kamil Dağcılar stated that in the awareness event organised by the Nutrition and Dietetics Club for the day, brochures about diabetes were prepared and distributed. In addition, Dağcılar added that they aimed to raise awareness of the people who participated in the event by increasing awareness with Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference measurements.

Dağcılar also provided information about diabetes and emphasised that diabetes is an important health problem with an increasing risk of occurrence in our country and around the world. “Lifestyle changes and globalisation, which have become widespread in the last 50 years, have significantly increased the incidence of diabetes in both developed and developing countries,” Dağcılar expressed, adding that according to World Health Organisation data, approximately 422 million people worldwide have diabetes and 1.5 million people die every year due to diabetes.

Gaining healthy eating habits is very critical for the prevention of type-2 diabetes

Dağcılar continued his words as follows; “More than 90% of diabetics all over the world consist of individuals with type-2 diabetes. Sedentary life, smoking, high body weight and unhealthy eating habits are the most important factors that cause type-2 diabetes to increase. Uncontrolled increase in body weight is a very serious risk factor for the development of Type-2 diabetes. Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to determine the ideal body weight. BMI is calculated by dividing the body mass of the person by the square of the height in metres. As the BMI value increases, the risk of diabetes also increases. Studies have found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes increases in people with a BMI value of 30 and above. In addition, increasing waist circumference also increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A waist circumference of 80 cm in women and 94 cm or more in men increases the risk of developing diabetes. High BMI and waist circumference values are directly associated with poor eating habits and high energy intake. Adequate and balanced nutrition is very important in terms of maintaining the desired body weight, controlling and preventing diabetes. Thus, raising awareness among individuals in society and gaining healthy eating habits are very important in terms of preventing type-2 diabetes, one of the most important health problems of our age.