The World Health Organization (WHO) released a Global Diabetes Report, published in the medical journal Lancet, that revealed diabetes rates have quadrupled since 1980. Currently, more than 400 million individuals in the world have diabetes. In 2012 alone, 1.5 million had died from the disease.
The report revealed that from 1980 to 2014, the percentage of adults with diabetes increased from 4.7% of the global population to 8.5%. This is thought to be directly related to the increased rates of obesity and inactivity. Additionally, the prevalence of diabetes is growing more in countries with a greater number of low and middle income classes.
Diabetes is characterized by the body’s inability to produce enough insulin in order to regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. When the amount of blood sugar gets too high, it can lead to damage of the kidneys, eyes, and heart. Type 1 diabetes is not preventable, but type 2 diabetes occurs later in life and is heavily influenced by lifestyle. It is also the most common type.
In the WHO’s report, governments and society are urged to work together to tackle the disease. While there is not much to be done about some risks, such as genetics and age, other risk factors like smoking, obesity, inactivity, and poor diet can be addressed in order to delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
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