DIABETES - The Global Spike

"Why there’s been a dangerous diabetes spike around the globe" PBS NewsHour 4/6/2016

aka 'Being more wealthy can be dangerous to your health."

In fairness, I have Type II Diabetes.

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  According to a new study from the World Health Organization, diabetes cases have quadrupled over the last 40 years, mostly in poorer nations.  Today, 8.5 percent of all adults worldwide suffer from the chronic disease, and 3.7 million deaths are linked every year.  For more on the emerging health crisis, William Brangham talks to Dr. Etienne Krug of the World Health Organization.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  And now, an alarming new report about the dramatic growth of diabetes across the globe.

The World Health Organization said today that an estimated 422 million people are now suffering from this chronic lifelong disease.

William Brangham has more.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM (NewsHour):  The WHO’s report tracked the global rise of diabetes over the last 40 years.  And it showed a quadrupling of the number of cases worldwide.  It’s now estimated that 8.5 percent of adults in the world have the disease, and the costs are tremendous.  An estimated 3.7 million deaths every year are linked to diabetes and higher-than-normal blood sugar levels.

The fastest growth of the disease has been in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Joining me now is Dr. Etienne Krug.  He’s the World Health Organization’s point person for dealing with diseases like diabetes.

Dr. Krug, these are genuinely shock numbers.  How do you explain this incredible growth of diabetes?

DR. ETIENNE KRUG, World Health Organization:  Well, we have seen a steady growth now for several decades, which largely, particularly for people with type 2 diabetes, is linked to our changes in the way we eat and changes in our levels of physical activity.

We are seeing more and more unhealthy eating and a reduction in physical activity, which contributes both to overweight, which in turn is a big cause of type 2 diabetes.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM:  We tend to think of diabetes as a disease that afflicts wealthier nations, but your report indicates that poorer countries are increasingly bearing a bigger and bigger burden.