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World Diabetes Day 2017: 12 SHOCKING diabetes facts every Indian should know!

Did you know that one in twelve Indians is already pre-diabetic?

Written by Sandhya Raghavan | Updated : November 15, 2017 3:47 PM IST

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Indian Family

Although we are marginally better than the West when it comes to cancer, the harsh reality is that we are officially facing a diabetes epidemic in India. With 62 million diabetics in the country (15 percent of the population), India already holds the dubious reputation of being the diabetes capital of the world. A combination of factors such as diet, lifestyle and genetics make us more prone to the disease than the others. On World Diabetes day, here are twelve shocking facts about diabetes every Indian needs to know.

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Diabetes Young

Diabetes has been increasingly affecting the youth of India. People as young as age 20 can be diagnosed with the disorder. According to the study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research, 63.9 percent of the youth below the age of 25 has type 1 diabetes and 25.3 percent have type 2 diabetes.

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Diabetes-and-cancer

Around 77.2 million people in India already have pre-diabetes, a precursor to diabetes in which your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not enough to be considered diabetes.

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Sambhar-HBO1

According to a 2013 report by National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, CDV and Stroke (NPCDCS), South Indians are more vulnerable to diabetes and pre-diabetes than their North Indian counterparts. The cause could be combination of factors such as dependence of white rice, tubers, fruits, cooking oils; and genetic predisposition.

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Rural Folks

Although it's commonly known as a rich man's disease, diabetes doesn't spare the poorer sections of the society, especially the ones living in slums. According a study conducted by M.V Hospital for Diabetes in collaboration with WHO, Chennai has the highest prevalence of diabetes among the urban poor.

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Grandfather

Think of this next time you hit your favourite burger joint. Urbanisation has changed the way Indians eat. City dwellers have better access to fast foods and packaged snacks that are high in trans fats, which contributes to insulin resistance. Alarmingly, city dwellers are more likely to gain their energy requirements from fats as compared to village folks.

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Ways-yoga-can-help-you-save-money

The economic burden of diabetes in developing countries is rising rapidly despite accounting for inflation. India incurred a cost of $38 billion in 2011 for diabetes alone!  Also Read - Kegel exercises for men: Do they improve fertility?

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Diabetes Deaths

The most lethal silent killer, Diabetes can kill you 10 years before time according to a study conducted by the University of Oxford. IDF Diabetes Atlas says that diabetes claimed one million lives in India in the year 2012.