INDIAbetes

The Twin Epidemics of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity in India

Type 2 diabetes and obesity present an enormous economic and social cost, and as such there is a compelling case for prevention. Epidemiological studies have shown that the extremely high rate of Type 2 diabetes in the Asian Indian population is the result of an interaction between a genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors related to diet and sedentary behavior. Type 2 diabetes is preventable by lifestyle change, specifically by increasing physical activity and adopting a healthy diet.

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INDIAbetes Mission Statement

INDIAbetes will be a documentary film and television project aimed at raising awareness of diabetes and obesity risk and knowledge of ways to prevent development of these diseases, in India and in the migrant Asian Indian population in the U.S.

The INDIAbetes project has three specific objectives:

1. To promote awareness of obesity and diabetes as a public health problem in India and in the Asian Indian migrant population in the US through the production of an educational documentary, called INDIAbetes.
2. To empower communities to prevent obesity and Type 2 diabetes by providing information on healthy lifestyle choices at the individual level, as well as community-based opportunities for disease prevention, based on current research and programs from the fields of Nutrition and Epidemiology.
3. To serve as a tool for public health workers, physicians, and researchers who may use the film in academic and clinical environments, to aid in the development and implementation of cost-effective, sustainable solutions to the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity.

INDIAbetes will use the interactive and visual medium of film, television and web-based technologies to reach the widest possible audience. INDIAbetes will use research conducted by the director, Catherine R. Armbruster, MPH, as well as many other professionals in the field, such as the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Emory’s Rollin’s School of Public Health, and the Georgia Institute of Technology to provide an evidence-based backdrop and a solid foundation. As health costs continue to rise in a volatile economy, INDIAbetes will prove to be a valuable tool to combat the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity.