Diabetes management is not about being trapped in a tedious and repetitive cycle of care but can be very flexible, matching individual requirements and capabilities with diet, exercise or medications, says a famous clinician scientist.
Merlin Thomas of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in his book "Understanding Type 2 Diabetes" guides those having diabetes to successfully manage the disease - to bring it under control and keep it that way - and lead a full and healthy life.
Modern lifestyle is leading to a multitude of problems of which one is type 2 diabetes. Having diabetes is not easy. But its management needn't be complex or complicated. Thomas says diabetes can be managed by a combination of physical activity, balanced diet and medication.
By 2030, at least one in 10 adults in India will have type 2 diabetes - totalling over a hundred million people, according to WHO.
But it needn't mean a world of frustration, restrictions and complications. Most people with diabetes are able to live full, free and healthy lives. But it takes clear understanding and good management, the book, published by Pan Macmillan India, says.
Thomas goes on to explain in the book what diabetes is and how it comes about; what is the right diet for someone with diabetes, and how to achieve it; how exercise can improve and maintain health; the medical aspects of diabetes care, including the best ways to control waistline, blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels; and how to prevent and treat the major complications of diabetes.
