The Illustrated Guide to Living with Diabetes in India, a Self-management Guide for Diabetics Launched by Sir Michael Hirst, President International Diabetes Federation (IDF) at The 5th World Congress of Diabetes, Kochi

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Monday, April 22, 2013 — (Business Wire India) — ‘The Illustrated Guide to Living with Diabetes in India’, a practical guide to self-manage diabetes was launched at Kochi on Friday, April 19, 2013 by Sir Michael Hirst, President, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) during the 5 th World Congress of DiabetesIndia. Dr. Shaukat Sadikot, President – Elect, IDF and Prof. Dr. Jean Claude Mbanya, Past-President, IDF was also present during this occasion. The book authored by The Living with Diabetes in India (LWDI), an online community for people with diabetes with over half a million members – and co-published in India by Popular Prakashan, is now available at leading book stores across India and through online retailers.

‘The Illustrated Guide to Living with Diabetes in India’ is written by people with diabetes, for people with diabetes – promising to help millions in India live healthy, happy lives even with diabetes. Despite all the advances in diabetes treatment, education remains the cornerstone of diabetes management. People need to know what they can do to help prevent or decrease the risk of complications of diabetes through proper awareness and education about the ailment. The content in the book will be spread across 6 sections including Introduction, Diet, Exercise, Tracking, Medication, and Staying Healthy.

Speaking at the book launch, IDF President, Sir Michael Hirst said, “This book has encompassed holistic information in the most engaging form that I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world. This illustrated guide can be a boon not only to every individual who is a diabetic to self-manage their condition but also to everyone else who can seek guidance from this book and keep diabetes at bay.”

Prof. Dr. Jean Claude Mbanya, Past-President, IDF, congratulated the LWDI team for publishing this book and said, “The book has covered all related topics. The simplicity of the content with pictorial presentation of this book will really help people with diabetes to self-manage their condition.”

Dr. Shaukat Sadikot, President-Elect, IDF said, “Patients suffering from diabetes often go through depressing phases due to their condition. I am sure after following this self-help guide he/she will be a changed person. Awareness and education is the need of the hour in our endeavor to combat the current endemic of diabetes in the Indian subcontinent. I hope this illustrated guide reaches millions of people waiting to receive the right guidance.”

Praful Akali, founder of the LWDI community and the editor of the book, through his message elucidated the concept behind the book, “With plenty of information available, it can be rather confusing and stressful to take the right decision. The book aims to bridge this gap by providing reliable yet practical information in a simple and engaging format.”

Dr. Debasis Basu, Medical Coordinator, the LWDI community said, “This guide is dedicated to all the people with diabetes in India who would still love to enjoy a very satisfying life. It will help you believe that this can be achieved if good and right care is taken and that – even with diabetes – you are the master of your own fate.”

According to the International Diabetes Federation, every 8 seconds a person dies of diabetes, in the same 8 seconds, two people develop diabetes. The 5 th World Congress of DiabetesIndia, consensus meet on various guidelines of DiabetesIndia was organized at Kochi during April 18 – April 21, 2013 against the backdrop of global epidemic of diabetes at such alarming proportions.

While the global epidemic of diabetes is now an inseparable part of India, initiatives such as this book and the LWDI community on Facebook will go a long way to ensure that people with diabetes in India are well-equipped to manage it.

About Living with Diabetes in India:

The ‘Living with Diabetes in India’ community on Facebook was founded in 2010 with an objective to build a common platform for all the patients living with diabetes and their family members. With over half a million members, the community-comprising diabetics, caregivers for diabetics and healthcare professionals supporting diabetics-is the world’s largest, most trusted online community for people with diabetes.