The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Malaysians pay price of sweet tooth… Type 2 diabetes Posted: 26 May 2014 09:48 PM PDT Type 2 diabetes, which is a metabolic disorder that is characterised by high blood sugar, is becoming prevalent among Malaysians and their sweet tooth. Many are ignorant about the complications arising from diabetes, which is incurable. They also brush it off because they think they are healthy. But I'm healthy! "Big mistake. People can have diabetes without even realising it," said Universiti Sains Malaysia's senior consultant endocrinologist, Prof Datuk Dr Mafauzy Mohamed. It is estimated that half of those who have the condition are not aware of it. This is because there are no visible early symptoms, causing people to continue with their cavalier attitude towards the disease. They will feel as healthy as a non-diabetic until the symptoms manifest themselves, such as lethargy, thirst, frequent urination and weight loss. Diabetes is akin to a silent killer that only manifests itself when the situation gets out of control. "A patient will normally have had diabetes for five years before they realise it. They have to understand that even without symptoms, they run the risk of complications from diabetes if their blood glucose is high. "It is better to manage the condition early to prevent complications that could lead to fatalities," he added. Diabetes is the condition where the level of sugar in the blood exceeds the normal level, which is 6mmol/L at the fasting state. This is because of the reduced amount of insulin produced by the pancreas. Among the reasons the pancreas does not produce enough insulin is because of genetics (hereditary), old age, obesity and the destruction of insulin-making cells. Worrying trend Type 1 diabetes is when insulin is absent in the body, while Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not produce not enough insulin is produced to control the level of blood glucose. Type 1 diabetes, also known as "juvenile diabetes", is hereditary and it is usually diagnosed during childhood. The number of people afflicted with Type 1 diabetes is about 10% of the global population. The number of people with Type 2 diabetes in Malaysia, however, is a cause for concern. The figure is spiralling even though the disease is completely preventable. "The main trigger of Type 2 diabetes is the modern lifestyle, which is often linked to unhealthy environment and an inactive lifestyle. "Type 2 diabetes is the most common type afflicting people, making up 90% of diabetes cases worldwide," Dr Mafauzy said. Worldwide concern The number of people afflicted with diabetes has increased worldwide. A study by the International Diabetes Federation 2013 revealed that 382 million people are living with the disease and the number is expected to reach 592 million by 2035. In Malaysia, the figure is as worrying. The Health Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam was quoted as saying that in 2013, the number of diabetics in Malaysia was 2.6 million, making up 15% of the population. Frightening complications Obesity is one of the factors leading to diabetes. In Malaysia, 82% of Type 2 diabetics are either overweight or obese. "Many are aware of the link but do not take measures to control their diet or increase physical activities to prevent or manage diabetes," said Dr Mafauzy. Weight management is crucial for Type 2 diabetics as being overweight or obese makes controlling the level of blood glucose more difficult. Uncontrolled diabetes can potentially lead to the silent attack of other bodily organs. The result can be serious health complications and eventually, death. "Complications from diabetes depend on how high the level of blood glucose is and how long it has remained there. The longer a patient lives with high blood glucose, the higher the risk of complications. "Unmanaged diabetes can lead to damage in blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and feet. It can also lead to heart attack, stroke, compromised vision or blindness, loss of sense of taste and leg amputation," Dr Mafauzy said. No cure There is no cure for diabetes but it can be prevented or managed with regular health screenings. The current treatment for diabetes, aside from diet and increasing physical activities, was medication and injection, he said. "Type 1 diabetics need insulin injections as their pancreas do not at all produce insulin. Type 2 diabetics, meanwhile, can be treated with medication that help insulin manage the level of blood glucose." Nonetheless, prevention is better than cure. So it is time for Malaysians to take stock of their sugar consumption. – Bernama, May 27, 2014. |
| ‘Home-made’ electricity creating buzz in Germany Posted: 26 May 2014 09:42 PM PDT Like a growing number of German small businesses, home-owners, schools, hospitals and industrial plants, Meier has opted for energy self-sufficiency. Of the about 600 terawatt hours Germany consumes each year, 50 TWh are self-produced – about 8% of the total – in a trend that has seen solar panels installed on home roofs and gas plants set up in factories. In industry, the share is around 20%, according to business and energy consumers groups. Their main goal: cost savings. Home-made power in Germany, which has among Europe's highest electricity bills, is not taxed unlike conventional electricity where one third of the customer's bill goes into the public coffers. And neither are the do-it-yourselfers subject to the duties used to subsidise the country's wider "energy transition" away from fossil fuels and nuclear power and toward clean energy. Ten years ago Meier fitted his four-star hotel, the 45-room Park Hotel Post, set in a 19th century building, with a gas-fuelled power-and-heat cogeneration unit. It cost him nearly 50,000 euros (RM319, 366), but Meier said "the investment paid for itself even faster than I had expected". Big business It's a trend adopted long ago by German big business, who value both the self-sufficiency and the lower cost. "If the power we produce ourselves in Ludwigshafen was taxed, it would cost half a million euros," said Kurt Bock, head of chemical giant BASF, which runs three gas power plants on its site in south-western Germany. The automaker Daimler has invested over 40 million euros in a new gas turbine for its plant in Sindelfingen, its largest production site. The investment will allow it to increase its power output there by 44%. "This reduces our dependence on external suppliers and allows us to increase security of supply and predictability of our costs," plant manager Willi Reiss said last year. According to a survey of some 2,400 companies conducted last year by the German Chamber of Commerce, nearly half have either made, initiated or are planning measures to provide themselves with electricity. Besides the financial argument, security of supply is an oft-cited reason. Renewables such as wind and solar represent an ever increasing share of German electricity production, but the output is fickle, depending on weather conditions. Although the lights haven't gone out yet in Germany despite the most dire warnings, the grid is becoming less stable. Decentralisation The "self-producers" are helping decentralise power production – a key aspect of Germany's ambitious energy transition, which was accelerated with a decision to shutter nuclear plants after Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster. On a much smaller scale, many families have placed solar panels on their roofs, especially in the country's more sun-blessed south. The share of self-generated electricity in households more than doubled between 2011 and 2012, although it still makes up for only half a percent of total domestic consumption. For the traditional power companies, they represent new competition but also offer them an opportunity "to become a service provider" by passing on advice and technical solutions, said Thomas Kusterer, chief financial officer of Germany's third biggest energy company, EnBW. Not everyone likes the trend of power-users going off the grid. "I understand those who do it, as long as the laws are as they are," said Hildegard Mueller of BDEW, the German Association of Energy and Water Industries, which represents producers' interests and calls for fewer incentives for self-production. But she said that self-producers "are detached from the community, leaving it to others to bear the costs of the energy transition". – AFP, May 27, 2014. |
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