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Obesity Linked To Rise In Diabetes

Posted on: Monday, 1 December 2008, 08:25 CST

The commonness of diabetes globally will surpass even the drastic rise at present expected unless growing movements of obesity are addressed, health experts announced Saturday.

Adult-onset diabetes is connected to factors such as aging, a lazy lifestyle, unhealthful diets, smoking, alcohol and obesity. The persistent disease affects the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves and is the cause for 3.8 million deaths internationally in 2007.

The International Diabetes Federation estimates an existing occurrence of 246 million diabetes cases worldwide and projects it will be 380 million by 2025, however, experts add these numbers could be miscalculated.

"The projections are conservative because they take into account only aging and urbanization but not obesity, which if unarrested, will lead to more cases," Gojka Roglic of the World Health Organization. Roglic added that not a solitary country in the world had revealed any indications of a plateau for obesity.

"It's the responsibility of governments to enable populations to create the conditions where (healthy) lifestyle is an easy choice rather than something that's very difficult to achieve," Roglic said.

"If you don't have a park to walk in, if the traffic is too dangerous, then people won't be encouraged to walk or ride bicycles. Or if there is crime and someone will kill you for your bike, then you won't be encouraged to cycle."

Anthony Harries, senior adviser with the London-based International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, cautioned that the amplified risks of developing active tuberculosis that partners with diabetes.

"It was recognized even in ancient Roman times that people with urine that was sweet had increased risk of tuberculosis," he stated, adding that a diabetic is three times more at risk to contract active TB than a non-diabetic.

India has the greatest diabetes problem worldwide, with 41 million cases in 2007, estimated to hit 70 million by 2025.

The problem is declining in rural India, which has a predominance of 9.2 percent among 20 year olds and older, increasing from 2.2 percent in 1983. This is compared to urban areas at 18.6 percent, contrasting the 11.2 percent in 1998.

Experts indicate that the inclination for diabetes in Indians may also be due to consuming polished rice, which has additional sugar than crude, unpolished rice.

Genetics may also be to blame.

"Years ago, people had famines and then they had plenty. During times of plenty, food will be stored, so when there is little food in the next three months, they burn off all that," said Viswanathan Mohan, a diabetes expert who heads a program to decrease diabetes and its effects in the countryside.

"Now the famines are gone, it is feasting all the time but the genes have not changed because this has just happened over 30 years. So when you overeat and reduce physical activity and when you have 'thrifty genes' (geared toward storing energy), you are heading toward diabetes," Mohan said.

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On the Net:

• International Diabetes Federation
• World Health Organization
• International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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