Both men and women are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes if they are overweight. Especially in the GCC countries, the level of physical activity is affected by the climate and our growing dependence on motor vehicles, says a heath expert.

Further aggravating existing problems, people consume high-fat, high energy dense food as opposed to healthy fresh fruit and vegetables which causes an abnormal increase of blood sugar, explained Dr Prem Jagyasi, a chartered management consultant - Healthcare.

The Unite for Diabetes 2007 Report was compiled by the doctor in association with at the Ibn Battuta Mall and Jebel Ali Hospital staff, in which more than 7000 people were tested for diabetes.

Shedding more light on the condition, he said Diabetes is classified into two types: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 sufferers are basically unable to produce any insulin usually and develop the condition as children or young adults.

The precise cause of Type 2 diabetes is unclear, but it is thought to be inherited and other factors such as obesity are believed to play an important role.

Being overweight or obese seriously increases an individual’s risk of developing other health problems including Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer.

It appears that excess fat increases insulin resistance, raising blood glucose levels and the chance of developing diabetes. People with a greater amount of abdominal fat have a higher risk of developing the condition.

People diagnosed with high blood sugar should consume a low-fat, nutritious diet and exercise regularly to reduce the risks of becoming overweight. If these habits are taught to children, there is a greater chance that they will avoid developing diabetes at a later stage in life.

Economic progress in developing countries heralds changes in lifestyle. People migrate to the cities, where urban planning stifles opportunities for everyday activity and where fresh foods are scarcer and more expensive.

As a result, people tend to eat more fat and sugar and less fresh fruit and vegetables. All of this is conspiring against sustainable health, he added.

Diabetes: Facts & Figures:

• Diabetes affects 246 million people worldwide and is expected to affect some 380 million by 2025.
• Each year another 7 million people develop diabetes.
• Diabetes is expected to cause 3.8 million deaths worldwide in 2007, roughly 6 per cent of total world mortality, about the same as HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.
• Every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes. Every 10 seconds two people develop diabetes.
• In many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and the Caribbean, diabetes affects 12 to 20 per cent of the adult population.
• Seven of the 10 countries with the highest number of people living with diabetes are in the developing world.
• In 2025, 80 per cent of all diabetes cases will be in low and middle-income countries.
• India has the largest diabetes population in the world with an estimated 41 million people, amounting to 6 per cent of the adult population.
• Some 70,000 children aged 14 and under develop type 1 diabetes annually.-TradeArabia News Service