Family support and healthy lifestyle choices key in managing Diabetes

• 55% of adults in the UAE encourage their families to be healthy
• 82% of the total respondents agreed they can prevent diabetes by leading an active lifestyle and eating healthy.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai: With Diabetes becoming increasingly prevalent in the UAE [over 1 million people in the UAE suffer from Diabetes] and across the globe, raising awareness about the early signs and symptoms leading to the condition is a necessary first step towards preventing Diabetes.

In a recent survey commissioned by Landmark Group, family/social support emerged as vital in successfully managing Diabetes - in addition to a thorough understanding of the initial signs and symptoms of the condition to prevent it.

According to the International Diabetes Foundation, by 2020, an estimated 32 per cent of the adult population (age 20-79) in the UAE, including both UAE nationals and expatriates, may have diabetes or prediabetes over the next decade, if current trends continue.

Every effort towards awareness of the condition can play an important role in preventing and managing Diabetes. Since 2009, Landmark Group has been spearheading the Beat Diabetes initiative, to drive awareness on the condition by bringing the community together in support. The Group’s flagship CSR event, the Beat Diabetes Walk, now in its 11^th edition, was started with the objective to encourage families to come together and make easy lifestyle changes that can help manage and prevent Diabetes.

Thousands of free blood glucose tests are conducted at the Walk each year, in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority and Emirates Diabetes Society.

The Group has also pioneered diabetes research in the region by raising funds through the Walk and through their retail network for Al Jalila Foundation to conduct research studies on Diabetes. Since 2014, the Group’s contribution has led to 15 in-depth studies on diabetes in the region.

Results from the recent survey conducted in the UAE indicated that family and community support, awareness of Diabetes symptoms, regular blood testing and improved awareness on the condition as such play the most important role in diabetes prevention and management.

On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, the Landmark Group announces the survey results.

• Close to 60% of people between the age of 25-34yrs agree that they would struggle to recognise if they were suffering from hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Ages between 16 -24 are the least aware of the symptoms of diabetes.
• 77% of respondents emphasized on the need for improved awareness on the condition to ensure effective diagnosis and prevention of any complications.
• 46% of people agree that they lead a sedentary lifestyle and have a poor diet.
• Spot the symptoms and take the test for early detection of Diabetes:
• 57% of the survey respondents that have a family member affected by diabetes, think that feeling tired is the main symptom of diabetes. Identifying the early signs and symptoms of Diabetes is important to reduce the impact of the disease and maintain good health. Some of the most common signs of type 2 diabetes include constant tiredness, blurred vision, frequent urination, slow healing wounds and weight loss.
• Choosing a healthy lifestyle to overcome Diabetes:
• Close to 30% of people with Diabetes who participated in the survey strongly agree that they lead a sedentary lifestyle and have a poor diet. As per the International Diabetes Federation, these are the two major risk factors contributing to the high prevalence of Diabetes in the UAE and wider region. This calls for a change in the lifestyle – one that addresses the lack of exercise and unhealthy diet. Addressing this, 82% of the total respondents agreed that that they believe they can prevent diabetes by leading an active lifestyle and eating healthy.
• Family support critical in managing Diabetes
• Results from the survey also suggested that 55% of adults encourage their family to be healthy by making home-cooked meals. In addition to this, taking part in recreational activities together, going for regular walks, and discussing about the importance of being healthy topped the list of preferred ways to stay healthy. To successfully manage Diabetes, family/social support is imperative in addition to a thorough understanding of the initial signs and symptoms.

To create this report, Landmark Group commissioned proprietary research. The research was conducted by Censuwide, with 1000 respondents (diabetic and non-diabetic male and female) aged 16+ in the UAE.

-Ends-

About the ‘Beat Diabetes’ initiative:

Landmark Group launched the ‘Beat Diabetes’ initiative in 2009, with a focused view to spread awareness on the prevention and management of diabetes across GCC and India. 20% of the people diagnosed with the condition live in these regions and the number is growing exponentially.

The Beat Diabetes initiative started with an aim to encourage the community to step out of their comfort zone and show how 30 minutes of exercise every day can go a long way in preventing and managing the condition. The 2018 edition saw over 18,000 participants and engaged over 700 schools and corporates towards the cause.

The Beat Diabetes initiative conducts year-round programmes, community events and media campaigns, to manage and prevent diabetes and reaches over 20 million people annually. Key yearly activities include Take the Test - free blood glucose testing, Get Active- community-centric fitness events, Eat Healthy - cooking sessions and SuperKidz Programme, amongst others. Since its inception the initiative has also raised over USD 1 million for diabetes care and research. The initiative’s activities culminate with the Beat Diabetes Walk organised across five territories in November – World Diabetes Month.

About Landmark Group

Founded in 1973 in Bahrain, the Landmark Group has successfully grown into one of the largest and most successful retail organizations in the Middle East and India. An international, diversified retail and hospitality conglomerate that encourages entrepreneurship to consistently deliver exceptional value, the Group operates over 2300 outlets encompassing over 30 million square feet across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian sub-continent.

Landmark Group has a strong workforce of over 55,000 employees and provides a value-driven product range for the family through its retail concepts: Centrepoint, Babyshop, Splash, Shoe Mart, Lifestyle, Max, Shoexpress, Home Centre, Home Box, Emax and UAE’s first food discounter VIVA. In addition to the brands developed in-house, the Group also holds the franchise rights for some of the world's leading fashion and footwear brands in the countries where it operates.

The Group has also diversified in the leisure, food and hospitality with Landmark Leisure, Citymax Hotels, Fitness First and Foodmark, the restaurant division, which operates the Group's own and franchise food outlets.

For more information please visit, www.landmarkgroup.com 

For more information, please contact:
Yasser Alvi | Iman Ahmed
ASDA'A BCW
Tel: (+971) 4 4507 600
Email: yasser.alvi@bcw-global.com  | iman.ahmed@bcw-global.com 

© Press Release 2019