According to information recently released by the International Diabetes Federation, people diagnosed with diabetes have increased from 30 million to 246 million over the last two decades, a staggering figure.
While diabetes in the United States has always been well documented, the federation’s data reveals that the 7 out of 10 countries with the highest number of diabetics are in the developing world, with China and India leading the way. In some countries in the Caribbean and the Middle East, the percentage of the diabetic population ranges from 12 to 20%.
The World Situation
In a 2005 press release, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) stated that diabetes affects nearly 21 million Americans or 7% of the population. As bad as these numbers are, they are not the worst part of this terrible statistic. More than a third of these are unaware they have the disease. In addition, a further 41 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease and stroke.
In the poorer nations of the world, the situation is even worse. Diabetes could be considered a quick death sentence. Americans can and do live many years with the disease, but a person in Mozambique who requires a daily injection of insulin, for example, may have a life expectancy of a year; a diabetic in Mali may expect to live two years or so.
Contributing Factors
Although there are many factors behind the epidemic spread of diabetes, three elements reign supreme: lifestyle, diet and genetic predisposition. With industrialization, comes not only more leisure time but also a reduction in physical activity. This is often accompanied by food consumption that is cheap but very high in calories. Weight gain can lead to Type 2 diabetes, which is the more common form of this progressive disease. Type 1 diabetes occurs in only 5% to 10% of all cases and is believed to stem totally from genetic factors.
In fact, in September 2006, the president-elect of the International Diabetes Federation, Prof. Martin Silink was widely quoted in the media as saying that “Diabetes is one of the biggest health catastrophes the world has ever seen.” The federation has brought its findings to the United Nations, seeking its aid in the resolution of this serious epidemic.
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the risk of contracting it increases with age. About 21% of Americans 60 years or older have the disease as compared to approximately 2% for people aged 20-39 and about 10% for those between the ages of 40-59 years of age. The United States spends approximately $132 billion dollars each year on this disease; $92 billion in direct medical costs and another $40 billion in indirect costs due to losses in productivity, etc.
Hope For The Future
What can you do to ensure you are not part of the statisics. If it runs in your family, get yourself tested annually. Don’t walk to the test; run. Quit smoking. Examine your diet. If it contains too much fat and “fast food” make a conscious effort to eat more healthfully. Inform yourself about the disease, signs and symptoms.
For further information about Diabetes, visit your doctor or find out more about the Diabetes on the world stage by visiting the IDF.
Marjorie Dorfman - I am basically a writer of horror and mystery fiction, but lately the world of comic writing has captured the tip of my pen. I have been ...
