For decades, we have ignored the evidence. Now, in 2025, less than 20 years away, the perfect storm is poised to hit worldwide. A massive hurricaine? A monster tsunami? An off the scale earthquake? As serious as our environmental problems are, I'm not talking about global warming. Fast forward to 2025. The number of people suffering from diabetes has skyrocketed to a staggering 350 million worldwide. Among the huge numbers of people with the disease, death is common. Amputations are routine. Strokes, heart attacks and life-threatening infections are everyday events. Entire countries are caught off guard, having made no provisions in their health care plans for such a pandemic. There is a public outcry. How could this have happened? Why didn't you warn us...why didn't you help us to do something to prevent this castastrophe? The evidence for such a scenario is overwhelming. Let's look at what has happened to the number of cases of diabetes over the last two decades. In just 20 years, the number of people with adult onset diabetes has risen from 30 million to 230 million. And there is no reason, unless we wake up, to expect a decrease in this exponential growth pattern. And when I say "we" I mean we the peoples of planet Earth. China and India now have the most diabetics in the world. Globally, there are 6 million new diabetes sufferers each year. Someone dies every 10 seconds from the effects of this disease...3 million deaths a year. The International Diabetes Foundation is seeking a U.N. resolution to bring recognition to the seriousness of the problem...the first resolution of its kind for a non-communicable disease. Half of the world's diabetics don't even know they have the disease...causing a potentially lethal lag in treatment. What is causing this diabetes explosion? Genetics plays a part, but the biggest culprits are lifestyle and diet. Globally, people have better access to cheap food and consume all the wrong nutrients. The hectic pace of our everyday lives has most of us living on adrenalin and getting less than adequate sleep, both known risk factors for putting on pounds and wreaking havoc with our blood sugars. Plus, in our lives today, daily physical activity has become something that has to be consciously incorporated into one's routine, rather than as a normal consequence of daily living. The bottom line... Bad diet plus too little exercise plus high stress levels equals weight gain, which leads to a greatly increased risk of developing diabetes. Keeping one's body weight in a healthy range greatly decreases a person's risk of developing the disease, even when genetic factors are present. Good control of blood sugar significantly decreases a person's risk of developing serious complications. It's no great stretch to figure out that prevention and early detection of diabetes could save massive amounts of money, not to mention the savings in human suffering. What can you, a single individual, do in the face of this storm? Plenty! Look first to your own health. A healthy body weight, sound diet and plenty of exercise is great, not only for you, but as an example for your children, your friends and community. Here in the U.S., get involved with your local school system as they begin to implement mandated wellness policies. Ask your local restuarants to carry healthier choices on their menus and then follow through by actually purchasing them. If you have a family history of the disease, ask your health care provider about getting tested. Together, we can turn the tide! |
