Diabetes a disease of the wealthy, claims Argentine President

The president of Argentina has come under fire for labelling diabetes as a rich person’s disease.
Cristina Kirchner sparked outrage last week during her ‘Innovative Argentina 2020’ presentation by saying that diabetes affects the rich because they eat a lot of food and have lazy, unhealthy lifestyles.
She told those in attendance that an Argentine laboratory was exploring and developing new treatments for diabetes that she hoped would help create jobs.
She then showed her ignorance by saying that “there are 80 million diabetics in the world and they also have high purchasing power”, before adding that “diabetes is a disease of the rich because they are sedentary and eat a lot.”
Many people, including diabetes experts and sufferers, said they were shocked by the president’s comments, with many taking to Twitter and Facebook to express their anger and embarrassment at the fact she linked with diabetes with personal wealth.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, while type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with diet, physical activity and lifestyle. Both diseases affect rich and poor alike.