The 7th of April is World Health Day. This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) are focussing on the growing epidemic of diabetes across the world.

Since 1980, the number of people with diabetes has quadrupled to 422 million adults (8.5% of world population), with many living in developing countries. Reports of Type 2 diabetes in children have also increased dramatically. Type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable, accounts for 90% of all diabetes worldwide. 

This means that the dramatic rise in diabetes rates is being largely caused directly by lifestyle choices.

By Promoting Healthy Choices, we can Reduce Diabetes Cases

WHO have a declared that measures are need to expand ‘health-promoting environments’ to reduce diabetes risk factors, like physical inactivity and unhealthy diets, and to strengthen the capacity of countries, particularly developing ones, in helping people with diabetes receive the treatment and care they need to manage their conditions.

Last week it was announced that there are more overweight people in the world than underweight. More than 1 in 3 adults aged over 18 are overweight and more than 1 in 10 were obese. In the UK, we have the highest rate of obesity in Western Europe.

“If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain,” says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.

“Even in the poorest settings, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes.”

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We are Scotland’s leading broker of Vitality Health and Life Insurance. Vitality core cover doesn’t just protect you when things go wrong. Vitality makes it cheaper and easier for anyone to get active and rewards their positive choices.