Let’s slam dunk diabetes as one

Since basketball is more popular in some corners of the world than others, and enjoys only a limited audience in the Middle East, perhaps a brief introduction is in order.

After all, why would anybody give credence to the words of a sports celebrity, his best intentions aside, if they had no grasp of his accomplishments or point of view?

With that in mind, by the time I finished my career in the National Basketball Association, I had won six NBA Championships and scored 38,387 points, more than any player in league history, and I’m still the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

So it might seem odd that I’ve spent the past few days in the UAE underscoring just one point, over and over, though it happens to be more important than any championship trophy, game-winning free throw or post-season honour.

While my NBA career was focused on hoops, my latest pursuit relates directly to life and mortality. You don’t have to stand 7 ft 2 ins (231.6cm) to see that a crisis is brewing in the UAE. In fact, it is already on the front burner.

As an ambassador for the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, which has a branch in Abu Dhabi, I've spent the past few days in various locales in the area. On Thursday, I addressed the newsroom at The National, and a day earlier, I met hundreds of people during the Take a Step for Diabetes Walk in Al Ain.

When it comes to diabetes, we’re walking the walk and talking the talk, because, at the current rate, the UAE, and many modernised nations, are on the road to medical disaster.

So, you’re not feeling it? Get back to me in 10 years.

The UAE, a country that is almost 43 years old, has a 19 per cent diabetes rate, one of the worst on the planet.

As a Muslim man who lives in the US and can walk freely in both worlds, the speed with which the UAE has fallen into step with the cultural habits of the West is both remarkable and frightening.

With the easy availability of fast foods, high income levels, an appetite for processed sugar and an increasingly sedentary population, diabetes rates in the Arabian Gulf region have skyrocketed.

In my days playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, I was often described as a finesse player. Well, there is no time for subtlety here.

This is an epidemic. It’s a killer. Worst of all, much of this malady is purely self-inflicted.

Maybe they enlisted my help to spread the word because I don’t need to stand on a soapbox to be seen. That said, these points should be shouted from a mountain top.

People must understand that they face individual choices, which carry potentially dire consequences. Moreover, a parent’s dietary decisions can directly affect those of the next generation, too. The dominoes have already begun to fall.

I first became interested in the impact of diet while attending university, during my research of Islam, shortly before I converted in 1968. I observed Halal throughout my career, watched what I ate, and weighed the effects of certain foods on my professional productivity. I even practised yoga and took martial-arts instruction. I’m preaching what I practised.

There is no question that being health-aware contributed to my career longevity. Over my 20 years of playing in the NBA, I was selected to play in the league All-Star Game 19 times and was named Finals MVP twice – a point of considerable pride.

We have a saying in America that can easily relate to food, performance and any sense of well-being: Garbage in, garbage out.

Understand that leading a smarter, healthier lifestyle does not mean leading a perfect life. Admittedly, I still enjoy ice cream and cookies on occasion. Moderation is the key – to just about anything, really.

Honestly, I’m not crazy about vegetables. But I do eat them.

During my visit to the The National, I was named editor for a day, a purely honorary position, but one that I'll gladly exploit for the moment by adding multiple exclamation points to the thrust of the visit.

Diabetes is deadly. Why invite it to the dinner table?

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* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is in the UAE to support Imperial College London Diabetes Centre’s Take A Step For Diabetes Week. The effort will culminate in #Walk2014 at Yas Marina Circuit on November 7.