A new study shows that type 2 diabetes poses one of the greatest public health threats of the 21st century. The majority of the western world is in the grips of a diabetes epidemic, driven by type 2 diabetes, which goes hand in hand with the escalating incidence of obesity. Alarmingly, in some working class and poor communities, the disease is so prevalent that its victims almost take it as a matter of course.

Diabetes is one of the principal causes of blindness, kidney disease, heart attacks and strokes, as well as non-traumatic amputations. The diabetes epidemic has unfolded in conjunction with the ageing global population and rapid cultural changes such as increasing urbanisation, dietary changes and decreased physical activity. The report found that diagnosis rates for type 2 diabetes across the seven major markets ranged from 58% in Germany to a worryingly low 37% in France.

The American Diabetes Association predicts that the cost of diabetes will exceed $192 billion in the United States in 2020. The direct cost of diabetes care alone is currently estimated to be $100 billion.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that developing countries will bear the brunt of this epidemic in the 21st century, with approximately 80% of all new cases of diabetes expected to appear in developing countries. The prevalence of diabetes in these countries is anticipated to reach 330m by 2025, representing 76% of the total number of people with diabetes worldwide.

The authors say the only non-pharmacological treatment available for type 2 diabetes is dietary advice and the initiation of exercise/weight loss regimes. If aggressive lifestyle modifications are implemented early enough, they can be enough to prevent disease progression, and even reverse the disease.