Diabetes: The cost of globalization

The epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on a global scale is a matter of concern, not only from a public health perspective, but also with consideration of societal costs. The increased call on health care resources to treat and monitor T2DM and its complications could put a heavy burden on national health care systems and financing. An important contributing factor for development of T2DM is lifestyle, reflecting increasing affluence and exposure to increased calorie intake in combination with sedentary lifestyle and less human energy expenditure. More detailed glucometabolic studies have been conducted in high-risk migrant populations, eg, from the Middle East. Recently, intervention programs have also been tested to improve lifestyle and reduce the risk of developing T2DM in at-risk individuals. There are many obstacles to success for such programs, which should be tailored not only to the individual in a culture-sensitive way, but also to families and local ethnic communities.