Diabetes epidemic affects 350 million as crisis spreads to developing nations

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jun/25/diabetes-epidemic-western-fast-food


Two employees stand behind the counter of the first McDonald's fast-food restaurant in New Delhi, India. Photograph: Agence France Presse/Getty Images


More than 350 million people in the world now have diabetes, an international study has revealed. The analysis, published online by the Lancet on Saturday, adds several tens of millions to the previous estimate of the number of diabetics and indicates that the disease has become a major global health problem.

Diabetics have inadequate blood sugar control, a condition that can lead to heart disease and strokes, as well as damage to kidneys, nerves and the retina. About three million deaths a year are attributed to diabetes and associated conditions in which blood sugar levels are disrupted.

The dramatic and disturbing increase is blamed by scientists on the spread of a western-style diet to developing nations, which is causing rising levels of obesity. Researchers also say that increased longevity is playing a major role.

"Diabetes is one of the biggest causes of mortality worldwide, and our study has shown that it is becoming more common almost everywhere. It is set to become the single largest burden on world health care systems," one of the study's main authors, Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London, told the Observer. "Many nations are going to find it very difficult to cope with the consequences."

[Marblehead]

1. cha ching!!

big pharma likes this very much...

[azul]

2. "Like a rat in a maze

The path before me lies"
-Paul Simon

The path of huge sweetness humans cannot properly metabolize. But there are the opposite of warning signs along it, because of big business profits to be made selling tons of sugar and then also treating its side effects.

[shanti]

3. i heard that!

diabetes does not run in my family, but me and sis both have it now :( you could see this epidemic coming a mile away...

interesting that my own mother doesn't have it, but she wasn't raised on sweets, high carb junk food, and sodas, which i feel are the major contributors. i wasn't raised that way either, but after i became an adult, i became a junk food junkie and sugar freak, and i loooooooved my coca-cola (liquid sugar, err, hfcs) - no more though!

[KT2000]

4. Dioxin

is linked to diabetes as well.

[amborin]

5. did you read there's a natural cure for Type 2?

600 cal (daily) diet for one week cures it, according to a recent study

no link but it was a scholarly paper and reported in the media

[RC]

7. Until you start eating again.

Then it's back.

[European Socialist]

8. checked it out--600 cals for 8 weeks

I think I'll take the diabetes.

[RC]

6. High Fructose corn syrup in almost everything.

There is a correlation with diabetics. And it causes the same liver damage as alcohol does.
Yeah, I know it is in fruit, but it is the system overload that is the problem.