‘Beat Diabetes’ and live a healthy, active lifestyle’

'Lifestyle presents Beat Diabetes' is a Landmark Group initiative to spread awareness about the condition and the causes leading to it. Renuka Jagtiani, Vice Chairperson Landmark Group, speaks about her organisation's role in educating people about this silent killer disease through innovative campaigns and health drives, in this chat with Leena Mudbidri

   Why did you choose the 'Beat Diabetes' campaign as part of your health initiative? 
    Landmark Group has a presence across the Middle East and India, and other countries in the sub-continent, all of which are culturally diverse. 
    However, we found that across these countries, the number of people suffering from diabetes is alarmingly high. As a retail and hospitality conglomerate, we felt that we have the ability to impact public awareness by leveraging our presence across malls and other public places. Hence, we decided to launch the 'Beat Diabetes' campaign which will enter its second edition in India this year. 
    What events and awareness campaigns have you lined up and what does the Landmark Group seek to achieve through these? 
    Awareness is the first step in the battle against diabetes, and that is what Landmark Group seeks to achieve. Today 50 percent of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes don't even know they have it. Through the annual walkathon, free blood glucose test and awareness drives we intend to educate people about diabetes, and how regular blood glucose testing and adopting a healthy active lifestyle can assist them in battling this condition. 
    How are you planning to sustain this health initiative over the months instead of restricting it to only one day? 
    We do various awareness activities and blood glucose testing year round to sustain ourhealth initiative. It all just cumulates with the walkathon in November across various countries since that is the World Diabetes Awareness Month with November 14 being World Diabetes Day. 
    What would you like to communicate to our readers? 
    Diabetes does not discriminate, once it was associated with the elderly but today increasingly, younger people are getting diagnosed with the condition and juvenile diabetes is on the rise. 
    Stress and sedentary lifestyle is the main cause for this epidemic and I would like to encourage people to take up any physical activity they enjoy - sports, dancing, yoga etc. it is fun and also helps tackle stress. The alarming rate at which diabetes is growing is a wake-up call to change our lifestyle and it is something we simply can't ignore.

Landmark group is Dubaibased retail & hospitality conglomerate which operates retail formats such as Lifestyle, Home Centre, Max, Spar, Bossini, Splash and Gloria Jean's Coffees in India.