Diabetes is a global emergency, growing at the rate of 21,000 new cases per day. The disease (in the ‘type 2’ or ‘dietary’ version) triggered by unbalanced diet and sedentary lifestyle now afflicts 10 percent of Americans, and continues to grow rapidly in countries where economic development is accompanied by the consumption of poorly designed industrial foods with too much saturated fat, simple sugars and sodium.
In Asia, dietary diabetes, uncommon until 2000, was diagnosed in 7.6 percent of the population 6 years ago and will rise to 9.1 percent in 2030, according to the International Diabetes Federation.
In Italy, the 3 mln people (4.9% of the total) with overt type 2 diabetes are joined by another million individuals estimated to be undiagnosed diabetics. Without significant changes, by 2030 there will be 5 mln sick people in Italy alone.
With 285 mln (in 2010) people ill, dietary diabetes is already a global emergency. Without new prevention policies, events will rise to 438 mln in 15 years.
