The battle between man and diabetes is being lost. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), roughly 382 million people have diabetes worldwide. This number is expected to rise to an astronomical 592 million by 2035; that’s 1 out of every 10 human beings on the planet. Currently, China, India, and the United States lead the pack with the most cases of diabetes per country. In addition to the estimated 382 million individuals with full-blown diabetes, the IDF estimates that a further 316 million are afflicted with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), also known as prediabetes, placing them at higher risk for all three types of the disease.
The Good News
Although diabetes is a rapidly growing threat throughout the world, it is not one for which we have no answer. "The good news for all of this is diabetes is imminently treatable, with cheap generic drugs that are available and (with) lifestyle change”, says epidemiologist Leonor Guariguata, project coordinator for IDF's Diabetes Atlas. “We're not looking at a disease that we have absolutely no response for."
Fortunately, this debilitating disease is one that we are prepared to combat. The tragedy is the lack of widespread awareness and resources in less fortunate countries necessary to treat it. With the proper rise in public consciousness and responsiveness, combined with the necessary humanitarian aid to those less fortunate, the raging war between man and his sugar intake can yet be won.