Helping those with IBD lead normal, healthy lives
Following the 12th World IBD Day on May 19, the first in a series of health and wellness awareness campaigns initiated by Shanghai Daily was launched under the theme of caring for the digestive system and shedding light on bowel diseases for the general public and healthcare professionals.
The event was co-organized by the Shanghai Municipal Center for Health Promotion under the guidance of the Shanghai Health Promotion Committee Office and supported by Takeda China.
The campaign's goal is to educate the public about intestinal health-related issues, and advocate for a new concept of healthy living through various forms of popular science-education activities.
IBD, which stands for "inflammatory bowel disease," includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two serious, chronic digestive diseases that affect five million people worldwide.
Organizers and guests at the launch event for a series of health and wellness awareness campaigns initiated by Shanghai Daily.
There is no cure, no definite causes and little public understanding of the pain and chronic suffering of those afflicted with the diseases.
Every year, World IBD Day unites people worldwide in the fight against Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
The majority of people with IBD avoid certain foods in order to prevent relapses, and dietary beliefs and habits among adults with it have a big impact on their social lives.
During the event, gastroenterologists presented IBD-related information to the audience.
Representatives of those with IBD were invited to share their journeys and experiences in combating the disease, calling on the public to enhance their understanding and concern for people with the disease.
The event also featured nutritionists to educate people about diet and nutrition. Through a creative cooking challenge, they provided customized healthy diets for those with IBD to help them improve their quality of life.
In recent years, the incidence of IBD in China has been steadily increasing, and is expected to afflict 1.5 million people by 2025, according to studies published in "The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology."
Professor Ge Wensong, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology at Xinhua Hospital affiliated to the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, speaks about caring for the digestive system.
"The digestive system is crucial to human health and needs urgent attention," said Professor Ge Wensong, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology at Xinhua Hospital affiliated to the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine.
The prevalence of IBD among younger people has been gradually increasing in recent years with a high rate of misdiagnosis.
"Through continuous communication, we hope the public improves its understanding of IBD as a disease," Ge said. "Enhanced knowledge among the public will help to achieve the goal of long-term clinical remission and mucosal healing, maximize the delay of disease progression and reduce the risk of hospitalizations, surgeries and disabilities."
President of Takeda China Sean Shan pledges to leverage the company's expertise and capabilities to help people with IBD lead normal, healthy lives.
"As one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the field of gastroenterology, Takeda plays an active role in improving the industry development in China, and we are also committed to increasing public awareness of gastroenterology related diseases, to help raise the diagnosis and treatment rate in this area," said Sean Shan, president of Takeda China. "Following Takeda's 'patient first' philosophy, we are honored to support this health and wellness campaign, aiming to leverage our expertise in gastroenterology to help IBD patients achieve a normal life. In future, Takeda will continue to focus on the unmet needs of patients, accelerate the introduction of innovative drugs and help improve patients' quality of life. "
"Those with IBD need to choose their food carefully, or they may aggravate the disease," said Professor Feng Yi, deputy chief physician of the Department of Nutrition at Xinhua Hospital affiliated to the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. "So it's even more important to match people with IBD with the best nutrition based on their conditions, treatment stages and other factors."
During the event's interactive sessions, organizers invited the audience to choose food ingredients suitable for IBD patients, and nutrition experts explained how to put different ingredients together for healthy diets and wellness.
"We hope to help people with IBD choose the right healthy foods with appropriate cooking methods according to nutritional requirements, while avoiding foods that aggravate or trigger symptoms," Feng said.
