According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UAE has been categorised as the world’s fifth most obese nation. An alarming 40 per cent of the women and 25 per cent of the men are overweight while 20 per cent of the adult population is diabetic. Experts have said that with proper diet and exercise, this can be brought under control. One such individual is Gulf News reader Shahzad Ahmad, who has decided to turn his life around and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
His story below...
Abu Dhabi: I have been obese and suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes for the past 12 years. However, I have recently decided to turn my life around and adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. I have taken up a great cycling challenge by participating in the mHealth Grand Tour 2014, which involves cycling 2,300 kilometres from Barcelona, Spain to Vienna, Austria, including 33,000 metres of climbs in the highest mountains of Europe.
I am a 46-year-old Canadian IT professional, currently settled in Abu Dhabi with my wife and daughter. I have had a long association with diabetes — my uncles and aunts have Type 2 diabetes and a young cousin was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I also lost two uncles to the complications of the illness. I have seen its effects on the quality of life first hand. The ignorance and lack of understanding about a disease can change a completely manageable disease like diabetes into an illness with devastating complications including death.
I am also hypertensive and have the classic gene pool to acquire it. Having suffered for a long period of time, and having lost my loved ones due to these illnesses, I decided it was time to change things.
I have a passion for technology and its role in the improvement of health of society. When I was in college, for my graduation project I designed and developed a digital heart rate and body temperature monitor. So why was I now allowing myself to be so unhealthy?
I now enjoy participating in sports activities, especially in the context of socialising and improving fitness and health. I regularly meet up with my fitness fanatic group of friends; we go for a weekly run and cycling training at the Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi. I also enjoy cycling with my wife and daughter on the beach and have participated in several running, cycling and fitness events during the past few years.
So, cycling across Europe seemed like the perfect fit in improving my health and travelling at the same time.
Last year, I participated in one stage of the mHealth Tour. The experience was so inspiring that I wanted to ride the whole challenge this year. I wanted to reduce my weight and adopt an active lifestyle while preparing for this tour. I believe people with diabetes are no different from people with any chronic illness including obesity, which can be managed and controlled.
I wanted to inspire others to take control of their challenges and believe that one can achieve anything they put their mind to. I also want people to be motivated to learn more about diabetes, to arouse their curiosity about how this disease affects us, and how it can be managed. I want to inspire people to care enough to make a change and my family to understand the importance of good health and more importantly how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The technology age has made children less active than they were when I was growing up, and they are always connected to some sort of gadget, be it the tablet, smartphone or television.
Recently, I read a quote: “It’s not very likely that you’ll make the world’s greatest dad, if you can’t entertain a child without using an iPad.”
I want my daughter to know that there are so many exciting and healthy activities that she can participate in that are both fun and good for her health. If I can take up this challenge, anyone can.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt.
The reader is based in Abu Dhabi.
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