We seem to have become the single largest diabetic nation in the world. Millions of Saudis walk around carrying this killer poison called “diabetes.” This sickness destroys all organs of the body, like a bulldozer smashing everything it passes. Kidney failure is caused by diabetes. Liver cirrhosis, arteriosclerosis and blindness are all caused by diabetes. No doubt, specialized medical doctors know much more about the implications of this disease.
Diabetes was first registered in the Kingdom about 30 years ago. By that time it was only 2.2 percent. In 1985 the ratio rose to five percent, reaching 12 percent 10 years later. The latest statistics show that 24.7 percent of the population is diabetic.
This is a real catastrophe by all means. It is said to cost us more than SR51 billion every year.
Dr. Khaled Al-Rabaan, director of the Diabetes Center at King Saud University, says that the spread of diabetes in the world has gone over its usual five percent limit up to about seven percent, but in the Kingdom it has surpassed all limits.
Despite the lack of advanced field studies, it seems likely that Saudi Arabia has the highest percentage of diabetic people in the world.
I will, however, skip the statistics in order to speak about this horrible condition and its causes. According to my limited knowledge, there are two main causes that make the body vulnerable to diabetes: inheritance and bad food habits.
No one has a hand in inheritance. It may be the fault of our fathers, mothers and grandfathers.
The second cause is the fault of the patient himself or herself. He or she may eat unhealthy food with more starch, sugar and fat than the body can withstand. Many of us devour sweets without mercy and without thinking of the consequences. Our wealth has made us lazy and addicted to rich food. Many of us do not practice any kind of sports — not even walking. We are usually implanted in our cars that we only leave when going to bed or to our offices.
We are our own enemies. Sugar is sweet, but we should not be misguided by this.
