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Global Diabetes Epidemic LoomsObesity, Diabetes on the Rise in Developing Countries
As American-style food marches triumphantly across the globe, millions die from diabetes, a disease with no cure. Experts say the worst is yet to come.
The dawn of the new millennium is witnessing the unprecedented spread of diabetes in every corner of the globe. Since 1985, the number of people with diabetes worldwide has grown from 30 million to 230 million, and the World Diabetes Foundation estimates 3.5 million people die from the disease annually (www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org). While diabetes continues to spread rapidly in the United States and Europe, its impact on the developing world is even more profound and devastating. The World Diabetes Foundation expects 80% of new cases of diabetes to emerge in the developing world. Ominously, while most diabetes sufferers in industrialized nations tend to be above the age of retirement, The World Health Organization maintains that most people afflicted by diabetes in the developing world are between the ages of 35 and 64 Social and Cultural vs. Genetic Causes of DiabetesSome researchers have attempted to link rising diabetes rates in the developing world, and particularly among Native American and Pacific Island populations, to genetic factors. Yet socioeconomic factors are arguably the most important stimulus behind a disease that is closely linked to dietary patterns. According to the World Health Organization, about 58% of diabetes globally can be attributed to a high body mass index. About 85% of new cases worldwide are type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity and sedentary lifestyles in adults. Highest International Rates of DiabetesAs American fast food restaurants and eating habits have penetrated the former Soviet Bloc, China, and the developing world, obesity has typically risen. India and China have now surpassed the United States as the countries with the most diabetes sufferers. In fact, pharmaceutical companies are in aggressive competition for the growing market for diabetes drugs in China. Case Study: Diabetes and Obesity in NauruIn this Pacific Island, diabetes was practically unknown at the time of World War II. After the war, as the island became part of the U.S. Trust Territory of Micronesia, imported foods like doughnuts, canned meats and flour slowly became a more prevalent part of the local diet. As phosphate mining replaced traditional agricultural as the island’s principal economic activity, the population became increasingly dependent on these imported processed foods. Today, Nauru has the highest rate of diabetes in the world, with one third of the island’s population suffering from the disease. The life expectancy since World War II has consequently shortened by two decades. Prevention is the Only Cure for the Global Diabetes EpidemicDiabetes has no cure – the only way to fight it is to prevent it. Up to 80% of type 2 diabetes cases worldwide could be averted through lifestyle changes, such as increased daily exercise and a more balanced diet (www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org). Further, those who already suffer from the affliction can delay its effects by improving their dietary patterns and engaging in a more active lifestyle. In a not-too-distant future, high-fat food may be regulated just as stringently as other threats to public health, like tobacco. The recent banning of fast food establishments in a Los Angeles neighborhood suffering from high obesity rates may be a signal of changes to come.
The copyright of the article Global Diabetes Epidemic Looms in International Health & Science is owned by Colin Forsyth. Permission to republish Global Diabetes Epidemic Looms in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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