Worldwide at least 171 million people have diabetes; this figure is likely to be more than double by 2030. Unfortunately, India has the largest number of diabetic patients in the world. The disease is such that it cannot be cured; only managed. Diabetes, which was once prevalent only among adults, is now found commonly in children due to change in lifestyle and imbalanced eating habits.

India: The Diabetic Capital of The World

The International Diabetes Federation recently published findings revealing that in 2007, the country with the largest numbers of people with diabetes is India (40.9 million), followed by China (39.8 million), the United States (19.2 million), Russia (9.6 million) and Germany (7.4 million).

Some other alarming diabetes statistics include the fact that there is one person in the world dying of diabetes every ten seconds. Also, there will be two new diabetic cases in the world being identified every ten seconds. And, what’s worse, these statistics also tell us that by the year 2025, there will be seven million new diabetic cases in the world.

In India, there are going to be eighty percent of all diabetics from the entire world population concentrated here - this makes India the diabetic capital of the world. Also, these diabetes statistics show that the disease is not one that affects only the rich, though it is most likely to affect those with a sedentary lifestyle and who consume diets that are mainly unhealthy.

For the purpose of classification, the disease can be classified in the following three groups:

• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Gestational Diabetes

The alarming figure of diabetes prevalence in India made the government start a National Diabetes Control Program in 1987. The program was started on a pilot basis in some districts of Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka. The Government is serious about controlling the disease and for this purpose various educational, training and support programs are being run.