ISLAMABAD: Health experts agree that the consumption of ultra-processed foods lurking with industrially produced trans fats, sugar and salt are major contributing factors to the diabetes surge in Pakistan.
Referring to the data, they noted that Pakistan is on the way to making 62 million people diabetic by 2045. The number of people living with diabetes in Pakistan increased from 6.3 million in 2011 to 33 million in 2021 and approximately 36 million in 2024, with an additional one million as pre-diabetic.
The sharp surge of diabetes has ranked Pakistan a number one country globally in terms of the prevalence rate of diseases where every third of adult Pakistanis is diabetic. If no immediate policy action is taken, the situation will further deteriorate.
They expressed these views during a walk organized jointly by Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), Heartfile, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates, Center for Peace and Development Initiative (CPDI) and others in front of National Press Club Islamabad on world diabetes day, said a press release issued here on Thursday.
Country Coordinator Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Munawar Hussain said that sweet drinks are the largest source of the intake of sugar in the diet. He said that the liquid sugar in sweet drinks alters the metabolism of the body, and promote excess calorie intake which leads to type 2 diabetes and many other fatal diseases.
He said that several research studies indicate that consumption of sugary drinks has clear link with type 2 diabetes. The regular consumption of sweet drinks may increase the risk of diseased by 30 percent, which could be cut down by reducing its consumption, he added.
He said that due to the negative health effects of ultra-processed food and beverage products, several countries have taken effective policy measures to reduce their consumption. He said that these measures include increasing excise tax on these products and enactment of front of pack labeling and warning signs to guide consumers for making healthier food choices, and limiting industrially produced trans fats to 2 % of the total fats in all food sources.
