“Diabetes currently affects 246 million people worldwide and is expected to affect 380 million by 2025” says the International Diabetes Federation. The number of people affected by diabetes grows by 7 million people each year and its health implications lead to the death of 3.8 million people annually. In fact, the federation reports that “Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of global death by disease.”

Changing demographics will give the disease new boundaries. It is projected that “by 2025, the largest increase in diabetes prevalence will take place in developing countries” (International Diabetes Federation). Time Magazine reports that “In the next couple of decades, the prevalence of diabetes is expected to triple in Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, to double in the western Pacific and to nearly double in Europe. With an estimated 33 million cases, India has the most people with diabetes; China has 23 million.”

The good news is that lifestyle and diet changes can have a positive impact upon the progression and thus the devastating effects of the disease. And the benefits can be far-reaching. The CDC reports that  “The Diabetes Prevention Program, a large prevention study of people at high risk for diabetes, showed that lifestyle intervention reduced developing diabetes by 58% during a 3-year period. The reduction was even greater, 71%, among adults aged 60 years or older.” And “research has found that lifestyle interventions are more cost-effective than medications.”

Pre-diabetes is a condition which occurs before the onset of diabetes, and according to The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion -- “There are 57 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes.” “In 1988–1994, among U.S. adults aged 40–74 years, 33.8% had IFG (impaired fasting glucose), 15.4% had IGT (impaired glucose tolerance), and 40.1% had prediabetes (IGT or IFG or both)."Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance are synonymous with pre-diabetes. The onset of type 2 diabetes, however, is not inevitable for individuals with pre-diabetes. 

The National Diabetes Education Program says “a landmark study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, found that people at increased risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight through increased physical activity and a reduced fat and lower calorie diet.” In addition to this benefit, “regular physical activity is key to improving employee health, reducing health care costs, increasing productivity and decreasing absenteeism and turnover,” writes Chris Boyce.

If small, everyday lifestyle changes can make a difference, then the workplace has a role to play in helping prevent this disease.

Here are some links to valuable diabetes educational resources.

Downloadable resources in many languages.

A quick and easy risk test.

How one workplace approaches diabetes prevention.

Nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

References:
American Diabetes Association. “Pre-Diabetes” [www.diabetes.org]. Obtained April 19, 2009.

Boyce, Chris. “American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health” [www.talentmgt.com]. May 2008.

Gorman, Christine et al. “Why So Many Of Us Are Getting Diabetes.” [www.time.com]. December 8, 2003.

International Diabetes Federation. “Did You Know?” [www.idf.org]. Obtained April 19, 2009.
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. “2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet” [www.cdc.gov]. July 23, 2008.

National Diabetes Education Program. “What is the science behind the campaign?” [www.ndep.nih.gov]. Obtained April 19, 2009.