Page 34 - IVA

stroke, blindness, renal failure, and amputation of lower limbs.

Women, obesity, and diabetes

In many countries, women are disproportionately affected by obesity. Accordingly, “Women and
Diabetes—Our Right to a Healthy Future” is the theme of World Diabetes Day 2017, to be held
on 14 November, promoted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).

Diabetes affects both women and men in the Americas (8.4% of women and 8.6% of men).
However, women have higher rates of obesity than men (29.6% versus 24%).

Some studies have shown an association between higher body mass index and greater risk of
diabetes, and abdominal obesity has also become a reliable predictive factor for the disease.

During pregnancy, women can develop gestational diabetes, which increases the risk of
complications. Obesity and diabetes in mothers have also been linked with a greater likelihood
of their children contracting diabetes in youth.

“The Region of the Americas has the highest levels of childhood obesity in the world, which
means that in the future we will have more people with chronic diseases such as diabetes,” said
PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne. However, these diseases “are highly preventable,” she
observed, urging “commitment by all to ensure that children are breastfed, avoid foods high in
fats, sugar, and salt, and engage in physical activity as a part of their daily routine.”

In the Americas, noncommunicable diseases—principally cardiovascular diseases, cancer,
diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases—are responsible for approximately 80% of all
deaths, 35% of which are premature deaths in people between the ages of 30 and 70. Given the
magnitude of the problem, the world’s countries made a commitment to a one-third reduction in
their premature mortality rates by 2030, and to working to combat the principal risk factors:
tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use.

Stopping the advance of diabetes

The advance of diabetes can be halted by a combination of fiscal policies, legislation,
environmental changes, and increased awareness among the population, all of which can
reduce the disease’s risk factors, which include obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.