Look at this figure:
An estimated 350 million people worldwide have diabetes.
That’s staggering. Honestly, it is. In 2010 one estimation put the world at 285 million people, but detection techniques and a wider canvas gives us a larger number. Global diabetes rates have DOUBLED since 1980.
The study attributes 70% of the increase to population growth and aging – the risk of diabetes increases with age. But 30% of the additional cases were caused by other risk factors such as increases in obesity, according to the report.
The U.S. saw a faster rate of rising glucose levels than that of Western Europe during the three decade spanning study:
Glucose levels were greatest in the United States, Greenland, New Zealand, and Spain. The United Kingdom had lower rates than most other high income countries, which is somewhat surprising given the U.K.’s obesity epidemic, the study notes. The lowest diabetes rates in wealthy nations were in Netherlands, Austria and France. The highest rates were seen in Oceania, a region that includes Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.
We need to get this under control, and fast. Diabetes can lead to heart disease and kidney disease, especially if left unmanaged. Just think of all those people who could have avoided having it at all if they had just stayed active and kept a healthy diet!
In a lot of cases diabetes can be prevented (sadly sometimes it can’t be), so why wouldn’t we go the extra mile to make sure it doesn’t happen to us? If there was a vaccine, everyone would do it! But it just so happens the prevention isn’t quite as easy — but the best thing about doing it the healthy lifestyle way is that the positive impact it has on you won’t be limited to an avoidance of diabetes: it’ll have a slew of other benefits as well!
We need to change those numbers! We can do it!
[Image via AP Images.]
