What the Story Behind Preventing Type 2 Diabetes?

The prevalence of obesity in the United States was relatively level between 1960 and 1980, but since 1980 it has been rising steadily (Flegal 2005).

Since the prevalence of diabetes follows obesity by approximately 10 years in a population, it is not surprising that the prevalence of diabetes began to rise by about 1990 (Bray 1998).

Between 1976 and 1980, only 8.9% of the U.S. population between the ages of 40 and 74 years had diabetes, but this rose to 12.3% by 1988-1994 (Harris et al. 1998). It is predicted that the lifetime risk for developing diabetes for people born in the United States during the year 2000 will be 33% for men and 39% for women (Curtis and Wilson 2005). The increasing prevalence of diabetes is not just a problem for the United States. The global prevalence of diabetes is expected to rise from 188 million in 1995 to 220 million in year 2020 (Younis et al. 2004).

Obesity is the major driver of the increasing prevalence of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is 3-7 times more common in obese adults compared to their normal weight counterparts, and those with a body mass index (EM!) > 35 kg/m2 are 20 time more likely to develop diabetes compared to those with a BMI .> 25 kg/m2 (Klein et al. 2004). It has been estimated that the cause of 60-90% of type 2 diabetes can be attributed to obesity (Anderson et al. 2003).

Continued Tomorrow

Source: Nutraceuticals, Glycemic Health and Type 2 Diabetes
Frank Greenway, MD
Chapter 3

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