Dr Samuel Ovo, a Medical Officer at the General Hospital Ughelli, Delta has revealed that controlling blood sugar and regular exercise can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Ovo made this known on Tuesday in Benin.

He said that a healthy lifestyle choice could help to prevent the disease “which is prevalent among people with obesity’’.

A Type 2 diabetes also known as adult-onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way the body metabolises sugar (glucose), the body’s important source of fuel.

“The Type 2 diabetes develops more when the body becomes resistant to insulin; it also develops faster when pancreas stop producing enough insulin.

“Some of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include increased thirst and frequent urination, increased hunger, weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision.

“The slow-healing sores or frequent infection, areas of darkened skin were also some of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes,” Ovo added.

Ovo, however, said that some of the possible risks of diabetes were lack of exercise, circulatory system problems, weight gain, joint and bone fragility, depression as well as lack of endurance.

“Lack of physical strength, loss of balance, loss of flexibility, loss of mobility, risk of certain cancers and decrease in cognitive function were also risks of not exercising,’’ the physician said.

He said that a person who did not exercise, burn fewer calories which would likely increase weight gain.

“Exercise is very important to us; it helps blood circulate around the body well; it also fights depression and makes us think well.

“Housework, gardening and general cleaning of the environment are all physical work that helps to increase intensity and when someone works at a vigorous pace it becomes exercise,’’ Ovo said.

According to him, 30 minutes of work daily makes the heart function well.

Ovo, however, advised the public to exercise daily in order to induce the risk of getting diabetes and other diseases.