Diabetes To Affect 3.5 Million Australians

The health signs are grim. 

Diabetes Australia forecasts that the number of Australians suffering from diabetes would double to 3.5 million in the next 20 years. 

The number poses a serious concern with the government’s healthcare system. Greg Johnson, Diabetes Australia chief executive, said the federal government might not be able to address the dramatic increase. 

Diabetes care currently makes up 32 percent of hospital admissions in the country. More than $6 billion are currently earmarked each year for diabetes. The more people are diagnosed, the higher will be the annual health bill. 

Diabetes Australia calls the forecast a “burgeoning pandemic.” The body said the government must impose a yearly testing for people 40 years and older. It also recommended that proper nutrition be taught in schools. 

The report also said that Generation Y is also most likely to be affected, with one of 10 people under 40 years old suffering from diabetes. 

Today, Australia ranks one of the countries with the highest incidence of diabetes in the world. The number continues to grow three percent a year with 275 Australians being diagnosed diabetic each day. 

Diabetes consultant Anne Heaney said people should be mindful of what they eat and drink. Cutting back on sugar and fat will help manage a person’s sugar level. She added that regular exercising and intake of food rich in fiber would make a huge difference. 

Diabetes is a lifetime disease with no cure. The condition occurs when there is too much glucose in the body. It is also aggravated when a person eats food with high sugar content like ice creams, cakes, chocolates, etc.

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