South Africa is facing a major health challenge when it comes to diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 4.2 million adults are living with the condition, with 45.4% remaining undiagnosed.
This makes South Africa the country with the highest prevalence of diabetes in Africa, affecting 11.3% of the population.
Adding to the concern, an estimated 13 million South Africans, one in three adults, have impaired fasting glucose (IFG), putting them at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the highest prevalence of IFG in the world.
IFG is a condition where the level of sugar in your blood is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.
It means that your body is having some difficulty managing the sugar from the food you eat, especially when you haven’t had anything to eat for a while, like in the morning.
IFG is a warning sign that your body may be struggling with sugar, and it raises the risk of developing diabetes in the future. It’s important to monitor IFG and make healthy choices to lower the risk of developing diabetes.
Registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA), Neo Mongoegi, stresses the importance of understanding the symptoms of high and low blood sugar levels, known as hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia, as well as the impact of food on blood sugar levels.
“It’s crucial to know that diabetes is manageable and not a death sentence. However, it does require a lifestyle change and adherence to medication. This change affects the whole family, not just the person who has been diagnosed,” said Mongoegi.
Type 2 diabetes, which affects 90–95% of people with diabetes, has a significant impact on lower-income communities, making lifestyle changes especially challenging.
While it is usually diagnosed in adults, there is a worrying trend of increasing cases among children, teenagers, and young adults.
According to Carla Boshoff, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for ADSA, it is important to make small lifestyle changes right away. “Start with what you have, rather than focusing on what you don’t have,” said Boshoff, who works in low-income rural communities.
Making changes to your daily routine can help you take control of your diabetes. The good news is that even small adjustments can lead to big improvements in your health. It’s all about simple steps that add up to a healthier you.
Here’s how you can start
Start by adding less sugar to foods and drinks, and work towards avoiding it completely.
Swop sugary cooldrinks for water.
Stop adding unnecessary fats or spreads to food
Start eating a smaller portion of the carbohydrates that form part of your current daily diet.
Start harvesting seeds from available vegetables such as tomatoes, pumpkins and peppers, and start planting.
Enjoy a variety of fresh, wholesome food and ensure a variety of vegetables form part of your everyday meal plan
Enjoy a healthy breakfast and never skip a meal, which is very important when taking medication for diabetes.
Drink lots of clean, safe water.
Follow up at your local clinic to have your blood sugar levels monitored and take your medication as prescribed.
“A healthy diet doesn’t need to be expensive and even the smallest changes such as adhering to portion sizes can make a difference.”
ADSA has created a few myth-busting questions about diabetes and food in celebration of Diabetes Awareness Month.
Is there a special diet or food that diabetics need to eat?
Consuming items that belong to a healthy diet should be a priority for people with diabetes. There is no need to buy special foods or expensive foods labelled for people living with diabetes.
Foods that form part of a healthy diet are available at any grocery store and include wholegrains; fresh vegetables and fruits; dried beans, legumes and pulses; fish, chicken and lean red meat; low-fat dairy products; seeds and nuts; and plant-based oils such as olive, canola, sunflower and other seed or nut oils.
This means that people living with diabetes have as wide a choice of foods as anyone else. A challenge is that people may know what they should eat but find it difficult to change eating habits.
Many people believe that a diagnosis of diabetes means they can’t eat sweets, chocolates, or desserts.
It is not true that a person with diabetes can never enjoy a sweet treat again. The more important thing is how often and how much of these foods are eaten, as well as making sure that there’s a balance between the food groups.
Is it true that Type 2 diabetes is a mild form of diabetes?
The idea that Type 1 diabetes is worse than Type 2 diabetes is not true. The main difference between the two types of diabetes is how they start.
Type 1 often starts in young people quickly because of an immune system problem, and those with Type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin to stay healthy.
Type 2 starts in older people more slowly and can be caused by genes, belly fat, bad eating habits, not being active, and stress.
People with Type 2 diabetes may use insulin or other medicines to manage their condition. Both types can be treated with different medicines, including insulin shots, to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.
But the most serious type of diabetes is the one that goes unnoticed, undiagnosed, or uncontrolled because it can lead to severe health problems like blindness, amputation, and even death.
Type 2 diabetes only affects overweight people
Obese individuals are not the only ones affected by Type 2 diabetes. However, because obesity and being overweight increase insulin resistance, these conditions are the main risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for managing diabetes and can delay the onset of the condition.
People with diabetes are at risk of losing their legs, or of going blind.
Not all people with diabetes will experience these complications of poorly managed or undiagnosed and unmanaged diabetes.
These complications set in when the blood sugar levels are not maintained within the targeted levels over an extended period. This is why it is so important to be tested and, if diagnosed, to follow recommended treatment.