Anne Peters: Advances in Diabetes, 2014
Anne Peters: Advances in Diabetes, 2014
The prevalence and cost of the diabetes epidemic are staggering, with 40% to 50% of the US population expected to develop diabetes in their lifetime. The promising news is that the rapid increases seen in previous decades have plateaued at a higher level, and the proportion of people with prediabetes has remained flat; with improved treatments, the rate of diabetes complications has significantly declined.
The combined epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, along with an aging population and longer survival rates, places a greater demand on the healthcare system and the workforce of adult endocrinologists. The overall driver of diabetes is the growth of central obesity caused by increased portion sizes and consumption of carbohydrates and sugars, coupled with a decrease in activity levels.
These trends of diet and lifestyle are now creating a global public health crisis, especially in developing countries. To put the crisis in perspective, if type 2 diabetes were a country, it would be the third largest in the world.
Only a population-based approach to prevention can address a problem of this magnitude. Even though we know that lifestyle interventions can prevent diabetes, the best strategies will include a combination of programs focused on high-risk groups and population-wide prevention strategies such as urban planning, food marketing policies, and an environment that encourages healthy lifestyle choices.
Looking to the Future
The prevalence and cost of the diabetes epidemic are staggering, with 40% to 50% of the US population expected to develop diabetes in their lifetime. The promising news is that the rapid increases seen in previous decades have plateaued at a higher level, and the proportion of people with prediabetes has remained flat; with improved treatments, the rate of diabetes complications has significantly declined.
The combined epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, along with an aging population and longer survival rates, places a greater demand on the healthcare system and the workforce of adult endocrinologists. The overall driver of diabetes is the growth of central obesity caused by increased portion sizes and consumption of carbohydrates and sugars, coupled with a decrease in activity levels.
These trends of diet and lifestyle are now creating a global public health crisis, especially in developing countries. To put the crisis in perspective, if type 2 diabetes were a country, it would be the third largest in the world.
Only a population-based approach to prevention can address a problem of this magnitude. Even though we know that lifestyle interventions can prevent diabetes, the best strategies will include a combination of programs focused on high-risk groups and population-wide prevention strategies such as urban planning, food marketing policies, and an environment that encourages healthy lifestyle choices.