STUDIES conducted by the University of the West Indies (UWI) estimate that one in every four adults in some Caricom countries has diabetes.More worrying is the doubling of overweight and obesity in children who are under five years, along with the high rates in adolescence, as obesity is one of the major risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes.

Studies also revealed that both obesity and diabetes tend to be significantly higher in women than in men; with, on average, women being twice as likely to be obese and 60 per cent more likely to have diabetes.

“This data signals that diabetes can be a big problem for years to come,” warned Director of Surveillance, Prevention and Disease Control at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad, Dr Joy St. John.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar to give one the energy that he/she needs to live. Uncontrolled levels of insulin in the body can have dire consequences. This is seen in the 2011 data for Caricom, wherein the estimated number of premature deaths – persons under 70 years – from diabetes was 39 per 100,000 population: males – 58 per 100,000 and females 35 per 100,000 (PAHO/WHO).

A common effect of uncontrolled diabetes is hyperglycaemia, or high blood sugar, which over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems. High blood sugar can seriously compromise the systems of the body and affect every major organ in the body, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, nerve damage, blindness, impotence, and infections that can lead to amputations.

The overall risk of dying among people with diabetes is at least double that of persons without diabetes. However, simple healthy lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing and delaying the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.

To help prevent Type 2 Diabetes and its complications, people should avoid tobacco use; eat a healthy diet, which includes at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day; reduce intake of fats and sugars; remain physically active — have at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity on most weekdays (for adults), and 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day (for children); and maintain a normal body weight.