DHHS, PHS, Public Health Reports, November, 1994

                      Public Health Rep 1994; 109: 831-832

                        November, 1994 / December, 1994

SECTION: PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES

LENGTH: 549 words

TITLE: Lifestyle Changes Linked to Global Increase in Diabetes, Experts Say

 TEXT:
   A dramatic rise in the prevalence of diabetes has led to an unacceptably high
death toll from the disease in many countries, according to a World Health
Organization (WHO) report.  Millions of cases of diabetes could be prevented and
many thousands of lives saved, the report says.

   The report, "Prevention of Diabetes Mellitus," predicts that the number of
people with the most common form of diabetes, non-insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus (NIDDM) will increase substantially and may exceed 100 million by the
end of the century.

   Experts say the increase in diabetes is due to a large extent to unhealthy
lifestyles, such as  diets  high in saturated fats, reduced physical activity,
increasing obesity, and social, cultural, and economic stress.

[And lack of breastfeeding?--hmmmm]

 Diabetes is
associated with increased mortality, a high risk of developing heart attacks and
strokes, eye and nerve complications, and amputations, all of which lead to
premature disability and death.

   "Epidemics of NIDDM are occurring in many newly industrialized and developing
countries.  Evidence suggests this is closely linked to changes in lifestyle,"
said Professor Paul Zimmet, one of the two co-chairmen of the WHO study group of
international experts that produced the report.

   "However, there is also sufficient evidence to persuade us that adopting
healthy lifestyle measures will be effective in preventing this disease,"
Professor Zimmet, of the International Diabetes Institute, Caulfield, Australia,
added.

[report continues, text deleted]

Arly Helm                                       [log in to unmask]