Diet is the key to diabetes prevention

Readers discuss dieting. Other topics: Donald Trump and aviation

Readers debate the causes of diabetes. Sammy Dallal / The National

I am writing about diabetes and recent news that rates of diabetes are going up in this country (UAE public health campaigns on diabetes 'must be more intensive', November 15). Defeating diabetes begins and ends with education campaigns that start with young children at schools.

Without help from schools, education about good health will fall short. Schools should embrace two central concepts including the “why” and the “how” diabetes happens.

The two concepts are connected because once children understand how diabetes can take hold through poor diet they will understand why diabetes is such a major threat.

I believe that a healthy diet is 80 per cent diet and 20 per cent exercise.

With those benchmarks in mind, we can all combat obesity and the problem of diabetes. As we all say, health is wealth.

Randall Mohammed, Dubai

Why does it always have to be McDonald’s shown in a bad light when we discuss diabetes and obesity?

There are plenty of other fast-food restaurants that are equally at fault across the country and the world. The photograph used for illustrative purposes always bashes McDonald’s for selling junk food.

Let’s focus on the industry as a whole.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

There are more shocking figures just published about diabetes here: 11 per cent increase in the past three years to add to an already horrifying and scary problem.

We know that diabetes is a direct result of overeating and inactivity but one of the major culprits has now been identified as sugar consumption.

As a recent UK survey has revealed that a single can of carbonated cola contains more than the total recommended daily sugar intake for a young person or child (30g) why doesn’t the UAE lead the world and simply ban these lethal drinks.

In 20 years time we shall recognise that fizzy sweet drinks are more lethal than cigarettes or alcohol. Ban them now.

Deidre Wollaston, Abu Dhabi

How best to describe flying

I am writing about the terminology used in a recent piece about the aviation industry (Next-gen A380s and Boeing 777s on the way as Emirates boosts superjumbo-only fleet, November 15). According to the Oxford English dictionary, "long-haul" when used as a modifier, should be hyphenated, as in "long-haul flight".

Oxford also suggests using a hyphen before a prefix joined to another word, which would then result in the multi-hyphenated “ultra-long-haul flight”.

Name withheld by request

Donald Trump fallout continues

Regarding the effect of Donald Trump's victory on far-right politics in Europe (Trump's triumph gives hope to France's far right, November 14), as long as the mainstream media keeps on denouncing the voters of the counter-left parties as uneducated, angry white men then this will not change.

The media should instead address the devastation that so-called liberal policies have created throughout the past decade to ensure the change highlighted by Mr Trump’s victory will not continue. The equation is not difficult to understand.

Raphael Augenstein, Dubai

Donald Trump is in jeopardy of losing his base before he reaches office because of the possible appointments he will make to his cabinet. I hope that he follows through with his campaign promises and chooses strong allies for key White House positions.

Deborah Miller, Abu Dhabi

The United States is the greatest democracy in the world. Their democratic system is based on a form of proportional representation meaning each state carries a number of electoral votes based on population size. In total, there are 538 electoral votes and the first to attain 270 wins, regardless of the total number of individual votes each candidate receives. Hillary Clinton may have received the most votes in the country but it’s irrelevant under the electoral college system.

In any election there are winners and losers but it’s the process that matters. Donald Trump has pulled off one of the greatest victories in the history of the country. He’s not a career politician, never served in the military and the only one to fly to Washington in his own plane.

The Arab world has bigger concerns in its back yard, including brutal civil wars and a mass refugee crisis. We have to focus on our own problems before being critical of others.

Jeame Mohammed, Sharjah