Bengaluru: 300 cyclists show the way to beat diabetes

BENGALURU: The city woke up to more than 300 cyclists joining police commissioner Bhaskar Rao and former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble in raising awareness for World Diabetes Day, observed on November 14.
The cyclothon — Pedals Changing Diabetes — is an initiative by Novo Nordisk Education Foundation supported by the Royal Embassy of Denmark and held in association with The Times of India to encourage cycling as a fun way to keep fit and manage diabetes.
The event was flagged off by Freddy Svane, ambassador of Denmark to India. International cyclist and Team Novo Nordisk ambassador Brais Dacal, who is in India, shared his experience of living with diabetes from a young age.
Led by the top cop, the cyclists covered 10 km, starting from KTPO Whitefield. Children and senior citizens, who are living with diabetes, also took part in the event. “It’s a great joy to be here to cycle and drive away diabetes. We can bring a change by cycling every Friday from our home to office. The police department has also been promoting cycling. We can be world leaders in cycling and I would urge everyone to cycle once a week,” said Rao.
Kumble said: “Sports is a great way to achieve and maintain a fit body. However, incorporating sports in your daily life can also help reduce stress, which is a dominant cause of type-2 diabetes. Cycling is a wonderful way to stay fit and I am thankful to Novo Nordisk Education Foundation for organising this cyclothon so that all of us can come together to discuss ways in which sports can be an enabler of good health.”
Speaking on the Pedals Changing Diabetes initiative, Melvin D’souza, managing trustee, Novo Nordisk Education Foundation, said, “We are committed to supporting people living with diabetes. Through this cyclothon, we have brought relevant stakeholders together for a dialogue on diabetes management and monitoring in an effective way.”
Brais Dacal, a member of Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s only all-diabetes professional cycling team, said, “It is important to eliminate the stigma surrounding diabetes. I have been denied opportunities on several occasions in my life. But that has never stopped me from achieving my goals.”
In India, 72.9 million people live with diabetes causing a significant economic and emotional burden on families. Moreover, 80% of those living with diabetes do not have it under control due to lack of awareness about monitoring and management.