Diabetes is a growing epidemic that is occurring worldwide. Diabetes is considered a chronic disease, and there are two main types. Both types have issues with the hormone insulin. Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot produce insulin at all. The other type is when the body cannot successfully use the insulin that has already been produced by the pancreas. This is known as type II diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, more than 347 million people have diabetes around the world, with Type II diabetes affecting 90% of that number. In recent years, the number of cases of diabetes has increased greatly in both developed and developing countries. Once a disease that only affected adults, type II diabetes is now also being …show more content…
These problems include the costs of a successful health system and the access people have to them. The United States of America is one of the most developed countries in the world. Although it has its flaws, the American healthcare system is very strong; it is full of money, which leads to great technology and skill level of the physicians. Unfortunately, in many other countries the healthcare system does not even compare. There are different aspects that contribute to a successful healthcare system; well-trained doctors and nurses, basic medical equipment, and finance are some of these parts. Without these building blocks, a healthcare system cannot be successful and the disease cannot be treated, as it should. In developing nations, a majority of the population is poverty-stricken. When living conditions are poor, health care is also limited. Also, there is not enough money to fully train and educate doctors. Even if there are trained professionals, they may not have a full understanding of diabetes. This may be the case with type II diabetes in children in developing nations. Since it is a new occurrence in children, trained professionals may not have a good grasp of how it affects children. In poor healthcare systems, there is also not enough money to pay for medical needs. With type I diabetes, insulin is a necessity. Many healthcare systems in developing …show more content…
There seems to be one main issue that brings nutrition and diabetes together: obesity. But obesity is not always due to eating fattening and sugary food too often. Eating to little can also cause obesity. Overall, it seems that typically the unhealthy foods are the cheaper option. For example, it’s cheaper to buy a few cheeseburgers at McDonald’s than to go to a health food store. The fact is that high calorie, sugared, and fatty foods are the cheaper options versus the real food. Developed countries set trends for the newly developing countries. When poor eating habits occur in a developed country, like America, it also affects those countries that are in the process of urbanization and development. This development can sometimes occur at a very rapid pace. With this happening, these developing countries are now being exposed to more and more food that their cultures are not necessarily used too. For instance, this has happened in South Asia over the last few decades. Dr. Kasia Lipska talks about this in her article ‘The Global Diabetes Epidemic’, “…all the while, their diet is changing, as they eat out more and consume foods higher in calories and saturated fats” (New York Times). It is obvious these transitions are causing change in lifestyles. This alteration can include both eating and exercise habits, and have a negative affect. This quick change in lifestyle can cause unhealthy habits; it can