The STEPs Survey done by the Tamil Nadu government in 2020 revealed that 34% of the population are hypertensive (HT) and 17%, are diabetic (DM) in the 18-plus age group. Hypertension and diabetes lead to increased morbidity and mortality which is reflected in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2019) report for Tamil Nadu wherein 65% of our health sufferings are due to these non-communicable diseases (NCD).
The National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS 5) 2020-21 tells us that around 40.4% of women are overweight or obese and 37% of men are overweight or obese, further substantiating the need to make our population fitter to handle the emerging NCD pandemic.
Though we have a very good health care system in Tamil Nadu including Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam (MTM) to handle the diseases, prevention of the emergence of risk factors is the key to minimising the sufferings of the population. The simplest, no-cost strategy that can be adopted by everyone to bring down these problems is to keep ourselves physically fit by doing simple exercises like walking for at least 30 minutes a day. Physical activity not only burns extra calories but improves your physical and mental endurance. It not only strengthens your bones and muscles but also reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.
Another interesting factor is the release of feel-good endorphins during exercise which will reduce stress, and depression and lowers the risk of developing dementia in old age. It will also make you a confident person with radiance good quality of sleep, and improved digestion, and metabolism.
On the other hand, if you are not physically active, there is every possibility of you getting obese, hypertensive, diabetic and being at an increased risk of heart diseases, stroke, and certain type of cancers of colon, breast and uterine.
Starting with an exercise regimen is relatively easy but sustaining it is a big challenge. To overcome this, build your exercise regimen into your daily routine so that it happens automatically. Getting like-minded people to run with you is another key to sustain. Always start with short distances, then keep increasing it, try different options to break down the monotony and move outdoors to the extent possible. Keep rewarding yourself for every milestone you achieve. The activities like dancing, weight training, mountain tracking and participation in games will ensure sustainability.
It is good to combine your exercises with healthy, nutritional dietary habits, by avoiding junk food, smoking, consuming alcohol, limiting your screen time and ensuring sufficient sleep for overall improvement in health. It is time to promote physical activity in the schools in addition to educational skills so that the next generation is physically and mentally fit to handle the needs of life along with knowledge gained in the schools.
The availability of exclusive paths for walking or cycling, safe public places to exercise, vehicle traffic and air pollution, etc. are among existing challenges. Fortunately, all these are now being part of urban planning in the state and we hope to get more facilities in future. The sports development ministry and urban local bodies are creating many facilities. In addition, there are also facilities available for youngsters who want to take sports as a profession.
Active TN is healthy TN. Keep moving!
Simplest solution
The simplest, no-cost strategy that can be adopted to bring down hypertension and diabetes is to keep ourselves physically fit by doing simple exercise like walking for 30 minutes
The author is director of public health, Tamil Nadu
Footnote is a weekly column that discusses issues relating to Tamil Nadu