As part of the celebration of the World Diabetes Day by the Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University, the Community Service and Environmental Development Sector at the Faculty, in cooperation with the Department of Community and Environmental Medicine and Industrial Medicine and the Scientific Council for Clinical Nutrition, organized an awareness seminar on diabetes under the auspices of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of the University, Prof. Ghada Farouk, Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development, Prof. Ali Al-Anwar, Dean of the Faculty and Chairman of the Board of Directors of University Hospitals, in the presence of Prof. Hala Suweed, Vice Dean of the Faculty.

During the seminar, Prof. Reem Hamdi Al-Kabariti, Head of the Scientific Council for Clinical Nutrition, highlighted the need to educate diabetics on proper nutrition because it is the cornerstone in controlling sugar levels for all diabetics at all different ages, including children, athletes, the elderly, and diabetics with other chronic diseases such as kidney patients.

Prof. Nanis Ahmed Ismail, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, stressed the importance of early examination to detect the groups most at risk of developing the disease. These categories include: people over the age of 35, individuals who are overweight or obese, and those with a family history of diabetes.

The groups at risk also include people who do not exercise regularly, do not eat vegetables and fruits daily, and those who suffer from high blood pressure.

She also stressed that early detection of pre-diabetes helps return blood sugar levels to normal if a healthy lifestyle is followed. The participants in the symposium also discussed the risk factors in dealing with diabetes, nutrition for diabetic athletes, as well as identifying the latest developments in nutrition management for diabetics, sugar-friendly foods, and the best ways to feed children with diabetes, in addition to some of the challenges of nutrition for elderly diabetics.