Obesity and Diabetes, Could They Make Type 2 Diabetes Health Loss Double by 2023?

Obesity and diabetes must be in the minds of the University of Queensland researchers when they said health loss due to type 2 diabetes will be more than twice by 2023 in Australia. This is the prediction of the University of Queensland scientists who also said that health loss through the other major reasons will be down.

To arrive at the above conclusion, the researchers used a measurement called DALY which is acronym for "disability adjusted life year". They say that one DALY is equals to one year of healthy life that is lost. The DALY stands for the difference between the present health status and the model for reaching old age.

How did they arrive at their prediction? They evaluated and calculated the data from 1993 to 2003 in Australia regarding the injury and disease. This study by Stephen Begg et al then measured the loss of health from these and other factors.

Stephen Begg said that the health loss among those in the lower economic status is higher by 31.7%. When comparing the population between those living in remote areas and big cities, the health loss in the former is 26.5% higher.

These researchers examined 14 risk factors like smoking, alcohol intake, increased body mass, lack of physical activity and high blood pressure. Dr. Vos said that all these can be eliminated through intervention. So it follows that health loss through diabetes can be stopped as well.

Dr. Vos added that there is a need for new ways so that the Australians will be motivated to lose weight just like the campaign they had about smoking that lowered the risk for cardiovascular disease. This way health loss through diabetes could be reduced too.

Two things I like about this report of mine. One is that it mentions the fact that all the risk factors can be eliminated through proper intervention. In such a case, can diabetes be far behind? Of course not. It can be stopped as well. If not through lifestyle changes, then by golly, we are going to do it through intervention, however painful that could be.

The other thing that I like about this report is that it mentions about getting motivated to lose weight. Really, obesity is quite a problem that needs to be addressed and met head on. I am glad to hear that the first lady, Michelle Obama is stepping on the plate and getting an initiative to fight both obesity and diabetes.