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Most">All major health organizations claim that diabetes is on the rise. Why is this? What can we do to protect ourselves?

Here are some of the most recent predictions from major health organizations:

' 'Projections of diabetes mortality trends into the year 2016 show an exponential increase in the number of diabetes deaths' ' Public Health Agency of Canada

' IMS, a health watch organization, has recorded 'a 75% increase [in diabetes] over six years.'

' 'Diabetes is becoming more common in the United States' ' Center for Disease Control

' 'More than two million Canadians have diabetes. By the end of the decade, this number is expected to rise to three million.' ' Canadian Diabetes Association

' 'At least 171 million people worldwide have diabetes; this figure is likely to be more than double by 2030.' 'World Health Organization

Although the statistics vary, they all say the same thing: diabetes rates are rising.

Reasons for the Increase

Diabetes is a chronic, long-term disease. As our population ages and our life expectancies get higher and higher, it is natural that the incidence of diabetes will increase, because diabetes is more prevalent in older adults.

Diabetes has been linked to heredity. If your parents or close family members have diabetes, you have a higher risk of diabetes. As our ability to manage diabetes improves, the fewer complications occur, and more people now are able to live (and live normal lives) with diabetes, so more children are born predisposed to this disease.

Technology has improved, and our ability to detect diabetes has improved. This accounts for a certain increase in the number of diabetes cases discovered. The American Diabetes Association still maintains that roughly one third of people with diabetes are unaware of their condition.

For certain groups, such as aboriginal peoples, there has been a major increase in diabetes. This might be due to a change in lifestyle. Communities which were previously nomadic have settled into life (sometimes on reservations), and are leading much less active lifestyles than before. Diet has also changed for many Native Americans and First Nations peoples, who are now eating higher fat content than before. Research at the University of Western Ontario in Canada has linked this to a higher incidence of diabetes.

Because many different groups of people are at risk for diabetes, immigration in certain countries, like Canada, affects the diabetes rates. Hispanic, African, and Asian immigrants all have a higher risk for diabetes. As the population changes in certain countries, the demographic changes as well, and this means that the diabetes rates change too.

Obesity rates are rising globally, and especially in North America. This increase in obesity, which is caused by the increasingly sedentary lifestyles we lead, leads to a higher incidence of diabetes.

Prevention

The good news is that type 2 diabetes (the one becoming most prevalent) is preventable. Find out how you can prevent diabetes at the site below. This includes taking such simple steps as eating a healthy diet and exercising, which will help you maintain a good weight. Quitting smoking and lowering stress levels also helps prevent diabetes.