As many as 200,000 Irish people could be diabetic by 2015, according to predictions by medical experts. Obesity is the driving factor, accounting for a 37 per cent forecast increase in diabetics over the next eight years.
The statistics were released by the All-Ireland Institute of Public Health and paint a gloomy picture of an Ireland increasingly afflicted by diabetes. Type 2 is the major problem, its numbers fed by an indolent lifestyle, weight problems and lack of exercise .
The chief medical officer of the Department of Health, Dr. James Keily, reportedly commented: "we are facing a dramatic rise in diabetes. This is largely due to the sharp rise in obesity and stresses the importance of well-organised and sustained efforts in prevention. High-quality diabetes registers should be urgently established and maintained on the island of Ireland, North and South, with a view to creating an All-Ireland Register."
The future of treating and preventing diabetes amongst the Irish will require looking at the root causes of obesity and weight-management .
Diabetes epidemic engulfing Ireland
Tue, 10 Jul 2007
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