Obesity Fuels Pakistan’s Diabetes Epidemic
A recent article published by The Express Tribune highlights a growing public health crisis in Pakistan: obesity is driving a dramatic rise in diabetes cases across the country. The article points out that Pakistan is grappling with an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes, largely linked to the rising rates of obesity, a condition that affects […]
Rise in sale of counterfeit obesity reducing drugs
Websites and stores selling counterfeit semaglutide products amidst the rise in demand. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global alert concerning counterfeit diabetes drugs, specifically semaglutide GLP-1, which are being sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as unbranded products. These medications are intended for the treatment of type […]
Baby food found to contain more added sugars in low-and-middle income countries
A recent investigation conducted by Public Eye and the Baby Food Action Network has revealed alarming discrepancies in the sugar content of Nestlé baby foods sold across different regions. An international study, conducted in Belgium, sampled Nestlé’s baby food products, collected from Asia, Latin America, and Africa, that were analyzed for sugar content. The results […]
Weight Loss Drugs
The popularity of weight loss drugs among people who are not prescribed them has led to severe shortages for people prescribed the drugs, including many with Type 2 diabetes. The problem is so severe and damaging to the treatment of people for obesity that some countries are banning the private sale of the drugs. According […]
Lobby to End Stigma
In the wake of a stark revelation on the rampant diabetes stigma highlighted by a global expert panel, consisting of 51 experts from 18 countries, diabetes activists are being called upon to mobilise and engage with parliamentarians for transformative legislative change. The resounding consensus from clinicians, researchers, and individuals with lived experiences of diabetes underscores […]
WHO Support for Soda Taxes
The World Health Organisation has published a global list of countries in its WHO Manual that have introduced taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, and is calling on all countries to tax sugar drinks in order to save lives. Eighty-five countries are listed as having some form of sugar taxation in the WHO Manual, with several countries […]
Half World Overweight by 2035
A global study presented to the UN predicts that more than half the world’s population will be classed as overweight or obese within 12 years if prevention, treatment and support do not improve. Compiled and published by the World Obesity Federation the report predicts more than 4 million people will be affected, with rates rising […]
Jordan Publishes Its National Nutrition Strategy
The Kingdom of Jordan’s 2023- 2030 National Nutrition Strategy indicates a high level of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in addition to an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity across all age groups in the country. Findings suggest the country’s nutrition transition towards a diet higher in energy dense, highly-processed foods and beverages, and lower in […]
Seychelles Survey on NCDs
The Seychelles’ health ministry has launched a population-based survey on cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases to assess the distribution of health behaviours, diet and main risk factors in the whole population. The survey, which is being conducted between mid-August and December 2023 and will help local health authorities start the process to establish a better database on cardiovascular […]
Obesity Debate
Speaking at the first-ever debate on preventing obesity and fatty liver disease in the UK Parliament, London Ealing Southall MP, Virendra Sharma (Labour) said: “[It] is a public health emergency. Liver disease mortality rates are outpacing those for other major conditions, such as diabetes or respiratory conditions.” In addition to fatty liver disease, obesity can […]
Fijian Diabetes Epidemic
According to the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over an “epidemic” of obesity in Fiji, which increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). UNICEF Pacific Representative Jonathan Veitch said two-thirds of adults in Fiji are already overweight or obese and the number of overweight children is also […]
Diabetes Risk of Peripheral Neuropathy
Over 6,000 healthcare professionals from across Asia, Africa and the Middle East were brought together at a ‘Demystifying Neuropathy Forum’ organised by P & G Health. The online event saw presentations on the latest clinical guidance and research findings on screening and management of Peripheral Neuropathy. Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) is a chronic clinical condition, wherein […]
Questions Around Weight Loss Drugs
Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is administered through subcutaneous injections (under the skin). Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. A study into weight […]
Combating NCDs in Namibia
Namibia’s Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula called for a need to ramp up interventions and strategies aimed at combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. He has highlighted the promotion of physical activity and adopting a healthy diet, specifically targeting the reduction of salt, sugar, and trans-fat intake to address obesity and […]
Social Prescribing Gaining Ground
Social prescribing is an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing, including healthy food. Following pilot schemes in the UK some U.S. health care providers have been experimenting with the idea. Under “food is medicine” programs, free, […]
One Size Does Not Fit All
A Chinese University of Hong Kong study, led by former Hong Kong health Minister, Professor Yeoh Eng-Kiong, calls for different approaches to different groups to improve the health of ethnic minority groups, and the poor. The study found higher levels of obesity and related health problems among Hong Kong’s South Asian community and is calling […]
Optimizing Type 2 (T2D) Diabetes Care
The diaTribe Foundation, that was founded with a mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes and prediabetes, and to advocate for action, held an event at EASD with a panel of Women Leaders in diabetes. The panel discussed strategies to address the growing number of people with type 2 diabetes and called for […]
Uganda Symposium
A month earlier, in February, Uganda’s Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) organised a nutrition symposium in Kampala, focusing on the systems approach for improving nutrition service delivery and outcomes in Uganda. Experiences were shared by nutrition stakeholders with reports on research findings, innovations, and lessons learned from projects. The […]
Sri Lankan Concerns
Nearly one in four Sri Lankan adults – 23 percent – and one in three adults or 31 percent in the Colombo district had diabetes while another one in three had high blood sugar levels in 2019, according to a large-scale national survey jointly conducted by a number of institutes. Researchers representing several Sri Lankan universities, […]
Chad Screening Programme
The Government of the Republic of Chad, a large landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa, launched a diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and kidney disease screening campaign in April. Four sites were chosen to screen all age groups free of charge. The Chadian Minister of Health, Dr Abdelmadjid Abderahim (pictured), officially launched […]
UK Closer to One in Ten People with Diabetes
Analysis by Diabetes UK has shown the numbers of people living with diabetes in the United Kingdom has topped five million for the first time. The patient advocacy charity is calling on the UK Government to ensure that national and local health care systems put diabetes at the heart of their plans. Diabetes UK want […]
Asian Americans Increased Heart Risk Missed
Obesity and the associated increased risk for cardiometabolic disease is missed in many Asian Americans. This occurs when using the standard body mass index (BMI) cut-off for obesity. rather than a suggested lower threshold for obesity in Asians, new research in an American Asian population showed. The study showed that the six largest subgroups of […]
News from Around the World: South Africa’s Obesity Costs Typical Across Africa
Obesity-related conditions and their complications across the continent of Africa may add up to nearly 10 percent of all health expenditure. The costs of obesity and associated conditions add hugely to healthcare costs and productivity losses. In turn this adds a large burden on individuals, their families and on governments. Research funded through the University […]
Nearly 7 out of 10 Fijians are Overweight
CAPTION: Minister, Dr Devina Nand, addressing residents about healthy eating. PHOTO CREDIT: Fiji Times. The Fijian Health Ministry head of wellness, Dr Devina Nand, says almost 67 percent of Fiji’s population is overweight – increasing the risk of diabetes and non-communicable diseases. She also said 80 percent were not eating enough fruit and vegetables and […]
The Caribbean
The Caribbean is one of the most obese sub-regions in the world according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) being the leading cause of premature death. The figures are significantly higher than the global average of 70 percent – with over 80 percent of deaths in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua […]
More News From Around the World: Online Lobbying
The price of insulin and prescription drugs continue to dominate the issues facing people with diabetes in the USA. As part of their campaign to raise awareness and prompt action, the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC), is holding a virtual Hill Day in June. The event involves advocates from different states signing up to lobby […]
Evidence of a Successful Sugar Tax
With more than a quarter of its citizens living with obesity, South Africans are among the top 20 percent of the most obese nations in the world. Around one in eight South African adults – more than 4.5 million people – have diabetes. It was these statistics that persuaded the Parliament of South Africa in 2018 to […]
News from Around the World: Malaysia’s Diabetes Time-Bomb
Malaysia has the highest prevalence of obesity among adults in South-East Asia. In the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey, 50.1 percent of our adult population was reported to be overweight (30.4 percent) or obese (19.7 percent). Writing in the ‘Malaysian Star’ publication, Professors Dr Moy Foong Ming and Dr Noran Naqiah Hairi and Dr […]
Latest Research News
Biomarkers breakthrough in diabetes research https://www.uu.se/en/news/article/?id=16386&typ=artike Belly fat diabetes warning sign for middle aged Japanese (and probably all) men. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/uosc-mmi012121.php Study into when insulin pump therapy should start in newly diagnosed Type 1 children. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30339-4/fulltext More evidence of link between diabetes and stroke. First results of the DiabetRisk study – Over 8 percent of patients […]
Obesity Driving Diabetes Rise
In a Qatar National Reseach Fund study, the gulf state of Oman is facing a rapidly rising diabetes epidemic over the coming three decades. The number of people with diabetes will continue to grow, making it challenging to control if no major preventive interventions are implemented now. It is feared that diabetes prevalence could reach […]
More News from Around the Globe: Never Too Early
Singapore’s Chief Ministry of Health Scientist, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, believes prevention of diabetes should start from a young age, maybe even before birth. He was reacting to the importance of responding to gestational diabetes that affects one in five mothers in Singapore. It led to his call for screening for the condition in order […]
Obesity and COVID Severity
The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) (pictured) has highlighted the interconnection of obesity and impaired metabolic health with the severity of COVID-19. In a Nature Reviews Endocrinology article the authors first provide information about the independent relationships of obesity, disproportionate fat distribution and impaired metabolic health with the severity of COVID-19. Then they discuss […]
Research Corner
Obesity Risks The study suggests there is a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes by at least 6 times. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200415185837.htm Studies into Diabetes Genes In the largest non-European diabetes genetics study to date that involved 433,540 East Asian individuals from China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and USA, an international team of […]
USA: Childhood Obesity
Disappointment has been expressed about the continuing upward trend in childhood obesity in the US despite the programmes that have tried to make an impact. https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireSto ry/us-kids-obese-latest-data-70585816 Targeting Better news from the San Francisco work based prevention programme targeted on people considered at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and who had a Body Mass Index […]
Research Corner
Much of the research and studies make for grim reading with the implications for people and health care systems severe. All the more important to seek allies who can share and add force to your advocacy to seek improvements to prevention, encourage early diagnosis, and the best treatments. Effects of Physical Activity on Type 2 […]
4.8 Million in UK With Diabetes
The number of people living with diabetes reaches 4.8 million, people with type 2 diabetes are 50% more likely to die prematurely and Diabetes UK is urgently calling on Government to tackle obesity. New analysis from Diabetes UK shows that 3.9 million people are currently living with a diagnosis of diabetes, and 90% of those with […]
Global Health Inequalities Persist
The OECD together with the European Commission has published a report showing the persistence of health inequalities and the prevalence of obesity that is continuing to increase across the globe. The report contains nutrition profiles, which capture the status of nutrition at country, regional and global levels. The country profiles aggregate the very latest data […]