A recent review published in The Lancet examines how China - which in 1980 had a diabetes prevalence of less than 1% - currently has the largest number of people with diabetes in the world.
In short:
- China has more than 118 million people living with diabetes, accounting for over 12% of its population and about 22% of all diabetes cases globally.
- China’s massive economic growth over the last 50 years has led to lifestyle changes that could be contributing to this epidemic, such as a shifting diet that includes more ultra-processed and sugar-sweetened foods.
- Environmental factors also play an important role, with China’s population experiencing increased exposures to toxics - like air pollution and endocrine disrupting chemicals - that have been linked to diabetes.
Key quote:
“Public health interventions targeting these risk factors are urgently needed and there is a current paucity of studies evaluating the implementation effectiveness of these interventions.”
Why this matters:
Diabetes is a critical public health challenge across the globe, with the affected population projected to grow to 1.31 billion by 2050. The authors of this paper emphasize the need for government action that goes beyond public education to include more effective measures like regulations on the industries contributing to harmful lifestyle and environmental factors.
Related EHN coverage:
- Op-ed: Untangling the causes of obesity
- High levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals found in breast milk across China
- Organic foods may help lower the risk of metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes
More resources:
The Diabetes and the Environment website summarizes research on chemicals and other environmental factors related to diabetes and obesity, including a section on diabetes incidence and historical trends.
Xu, Yu et al. for The Lancet. Nov. 20, 2024
