Kelantan No. 1 in diabetes

Star: Kelantan has the highest number of diabetics in the country with an estimated 78,000 people. And most of them are above 30 years old, Utusan Malaysia reported.
The paper said a study by Universiti Sains Malaysia showed the figure had doubled compared with 10 years ago.
It said if the calculation of the World Health Organisation was applied, it meant that almost one-third of the state's population suffered from diabetes.
Quoting the Malaysian Diabetes Association Kelantan branch secretary Associate Professor Ab. Aziz al-Safi Ismail, it said 95.3% of the loss of limbs were due to the disease.
It added that 70% of the diabetics could not control their sugar levels.
“The answer to why Kelantan has a high rate of diabetics is very easy: because they love sweet foods, and this has been going on for generations,” the paper quoted Dr Ab. Aziz as saying.
It said the study, which was done in collaboration with several other local universities and the Health Ministry, found that Selangor and Penang came in second and third at 11% and 10.5%, respectively.
The paper also said that Sarawak, Sabah and Perlis have the lowest number of diabetics.
“Kelantanese love sweet foods while people in Selangor and Penang are exposed to modern lifestyles of fast food; and they do little exercise,” Dr Ab. Aziz added.
The daily said it was disappointing that Kelantanese were consuming very high amounts of sugar in their diet.
“One example is only Kelananese would eat roti canai with curry and sugar,” he said.