(Sarah Boseley/ The Guardian) — One in eight people in the world will have type 2 diabetes by 2045 if obesity continues to climb at the present rate, according to a new study.
Last year, 14% of the global population was obese and 9% had type 2 diabetes. By 2045, 22% will be obese and 14% will be suffering from type 2 diabetes, estimates presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna suggest.
The implications of the expanding numbers are severe for health systems in every country. Diabetes UK estimates that the NHS spends £14bn a year on the disease already, which is about 10% of its budget. People with diabetes need monitoring, treatment and care for the serious potential complications which can include amputations and blindness.
The study was carried out by scientists funded by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which makes diabetes treatments, together with the Steno Diabetes Centre in Gentofte, Denmark, and University College London. They say that to prevent type 2 diabetes rates rising above 10%, obesity levels must come down by a quarter. (…)