Raymond Wong looked down at the dining table and knew he had a plateful of trouble in front of him.
But he kind of knew it was coming, eyeing the large, appetizing portion of rice, savoury duck and other tantalizingly rich foods that graced most of his evening meals. He hadnt been feeling quite right lumbering, and tired for quite a while and decided it might be a good idea if he got things checked out with his doctor.
After all, Wong was co-chair of a group helping organize a special diabetes screening Wellness Day this Saturday (June 15) aimed mostly at those of Chinese ethnicity which has experienced a dramatic increase in the disease.
So, why not get himself screened beforehand?
He did and good thing, too, as the test showed he had developed Type 2 diabetes.
Although it came as a bit of a shock to get the diagnosis, my body had been telling me for a while that something was not right, said Wong, 62, adding he had plenty of the hallmarks for those at risk of developing the disease.
As vice president and general manager of Carlsen Auto Parts, a busy import business in Richmond supplying truck parts to local dealerships from China, Wong was already being treated for high blood pressure and cholesterol concerns. He had also packed on a good 20 to 30 pounds over the past number of years. And on most work days he opted for fast food to meet his high stress, hectic schedule governed by a time clock on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
I used to weigh 170 to 180 pounds, said Wong.
Now Im up around 210. And its the little things you notice when you gain that weight. I used to wear undershirts and a dress shirt over top. Now, I find that too restricting.
Food choices outside business and home life were also a problem as high calorie meals were the frequent choice at community functions he attended as president of the Vancouver Cambie Lions Club.
Now, Wong is trying to turn things around with meals featuring salads and cutting out sugar-laden soft drinks.
He is also making time in his work day to include exercising at the gym and is taking after-dinner walks.
Its all helping, he said. There havent been any dramatic changes, but I needed to start before my condition got worse and made it even more difficult to get healthier.
Since his diagnosis of diabetes is still recent, Wongs doctor has held back from prescribing drug treatment, preferring the self-help route of exercise and a better diet to see if that has the desired impact.
Wongs situation is one being increasingly played out following the findings of an Ontario health researcher, Dr. Baiju Shah, who co-authored a study suggesting the Chinese-Canadian population be part of the diabetes high risk group that already includes Canadians of South Asian, African or Aboriginal origin.
According to the study, the rate of diabetes among Chinese-Canadians in Ontario rose alarmingly from 1.3 cases per 1,000 people to 19.6 from 1996 to 2005.
In comparison, those of European descent experienced a rise of 24 per cent from 7.8 to 10 cases per 1,000 people over the same period.
Iris Lui, Canadian Diabetes Associations Chinese community coordinator for B.C., said there are a number of theories for the increase.
Some point to a genetic link in the Chinese population and a so-called thrifty gene which in times of famine in China made inhabitants readily store fat for periods when food was scarce.
Match that with todays more sedentary lifestyles, and access to an array of food supplies that can often include high-calorie, high-fat content, and the setting is ripe for people to gain weight and heighten the risk of developing diabetes, Lui said.
Diabetes Wellness Day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Fraserview MB Church, 11295 Mellis Dr.
