To curb diabetes, BMC to teach kids healthy eating

At least 10% of city’s population is diabetic and 15% is in the pre-diabetic stage, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) statistics show. To tackle the rising threat of the disease, the civic body has designed an awareness campaign especially for children.

At least 10% of city’s population is diabetic and 15% is in the pre-diabetic stage, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) statistics show. To tackle the rising threat of the disease, the civic body has designed an awareness campaign especially for children.

The BMC has come up with two short films – one of them an animated cartoon movie – that highlight the importance of healthy eating and how it can prevent diabetes and hypertension.

“Conceptualised by BMC experts, the film will be screened in city theatres before movies. The other film, meant for adults, will be screened in hospitals,” said Dr Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer, BMC.

The civic body has also come out with a booklet on diabetes and healthy eating that will be provided to all hospitals in the coming weeks. Prepared in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation, they will be available in English and Marathi.

As part of the initiative, yoga classes will also be introduced in two of the BMC’s 80 diabetes clinics in the city. “The yoga classes are being run on a pilot project basis but it would be scaled up to other diabetes clinics across the city,” said Dr Shah.