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Diabetes in Europe

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broads

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Have been following the thread about Mediterranean diet and wondered if there were any statistics about the percentage of the population of European countries that have diabetes. So, went in search on the web. So far I have not been able to find percentages, lots of numbers but unless you can compare population with diabetics doesn't mean much. Found this
http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/world ... ndex4.html.
Just wondered if anyone had any comments. I did notice that Italy has a large number of diabetics but as I don't know how many people live in Italy ............
 
Just wondered if anyone had any comments. I did notice that Italy has a large number of diabetics
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Trying to compare incidence in countries is difficult. This paper dated 2002 says
The prevalence of diabetes in the general population of Italy is estimated at 3-4% and increases with age. Ninety percent of diabetes patients have Type 2 diabetes, which usually has its onset in adulthood. Diabetes is increasing in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, and the World Health Organization estimates that there will be a doubling of cases in the region by 2025, largely as a result of lack of physical activity and poor dietary habits, both of which are risk factors for the disease (1).
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http://www.epicentro.iss.it/ben/pre_2002/dicembre02/1_en.htm

The paper then explains some of the problems as to calculating the actual incidence.

However, there has been been a very rapid increase in recent years. A paper just 4 years later says that the incidence has doubled in the last 10 years and now affects 6.6.% of the adult population.
http://www.caringfordiabetes.com/Global/Italy/ESD_Diabetes.cfm

Obviously changes in screening and diagostic and recording criteria will account for some of the rise . However its also highly possible that the increase may be related to changes away from traditional diet and activity patterns to more refined, industrial foods and less exercise.

Developing countries are seeing even faster rises than Italy.
the World Health Organization expects that of the more than 350 million diabetics projected in 2025, three-fourths will inhabit the third world.
“I’m concerned for virtually every country where there’s modernization going on, because of the diabetes that follows,” said Dr. Paul Zimmet, the director of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
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from an article in the NY times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/world/asia/13diabetes.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=health
 
As an aside, one thing that i cant get my head around is when you go to a country with its own distinct foods and tastes, you will find a Mc Donalds and people eating there. Beats me hands down. Saw it in spain, germany, france,and recently Cyprus.

Dave P
 
I wonder . . . . . is it just a coincidence that McDonalds happens to have a big presence in every country that now has an obesity and diabetes epidemic? Cause or effect??
 
I used to take cadets to strange towns when on Summer camp,they could get off the bus and locate a MacDonalds in no time.It was uncanny!!
 
What a pity that purveyors of "respectable2 foods can't make them taste as good as burgers. 8)
 
The french havnt relinquished the ability to stand up for themselves, sadly i believe we have. Of course others might argue differently.

Dave P
 
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