Title: How Diabetes Became an Epidemic - Diabetes Center - Everyday Health
Headings: How Diabetes Became an Epidemic
How Diabetes Became an Epidemic
Diabetes in the United States
The Worldwide Diabetes Epidemic
What’s Being Done to Stop the Diabetes Epidemic
What You Can Do
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Content: There is evidence that 246 million people worldwide have diabetes. If current trends continue, this number is projected to reach 380 million within the next 20 years. Diabetes affects developed and developing countries alike. In fact, the largest increases in diabetes prevalence in the years to come are projected to take place in developing countries. According to the International Diabetes Federation, India currently has the highest concentration of people with diabetes, followed by China, the United States, Russia, Germany, and Japan. Just as in the developed world, developing countries are turning increasingly toward a lifestyle of unhealthful diets and little physical activity. What’s Being Done to Stop the Diabetes Epidemic
Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for the vast majority of diabetes cases, can be prevented. For people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, lifestyle changes, including weight loss and regular exercise, can significantly reduce the risk. Major health organizations are waging a battle to slow and eventually reverse the trend of increasing diabetes prevalence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national and international health organizations are working to establish effective diabetes prevention and control programs.