Page 14 - DIVA_2_2007_No.29

Diabetes

Interview with Dr Gojka Roglic,
WHO Specialist

Q: Not long ago, I read that, diabetes - a well-recognized, slioit peiiod of tiine, but today

for the first time in history, well-docrunented risk factor tliey can live noi'mally as long
there are more people who are and it therefore t'anslates into as they regularly receive a pro-
overweight than stanring in a lffglier freqriency rate for per dosage of insulin. Type 1 is
the world. Does this have an diabetes. More and more peo- mricli less freqrient tlian type 2
influence on the risk of pie are becoining diabetic. diabetes, wlffch is linlced to
diabetes? obesity. Rorighly 90% of all
c Q: I understand that it is diabetic persons in tlie world
Yes. Being overweight or obese alarmingly high and nobody liave type 2 diabetes.
o are the most widespread risk really talks about it.
factors for diabetes; not only for Type 2 is related to obesity.

diabetes but also for several People liave staited to take Tliere is no crire yet, and it is
otherchronic diseases, including notice. Many coruitries liave managed by lifestyle intei'ven-
N some cancers. So the implica- recogi'iized tliat tlie problem of tion in terins of a healtliy diet,
fflfflffll tions go well beyond diabetes diabetes is increasing. What is loosing excess weiglit and
itself. It is tnue that now even particularly alai'i'iiing is tlie maintaining optimal body
poor countries have an increa- increasiiig nuinber of repoits weiglit. Some people can be
sing prevalence of obesity. In of type 2 diabetes in cliildren, treated only witli diet and pliy-
fact, they have the double bur- adolescents and yormg people. sical activity. If tliey lose
den of anunder-nourishedpopu- hi the past, it used to be a weiglit tlien tl'ieir blood srigar
lation and an overweight and condition of iniddle-aged and level can drop to acceptable
o over-nourishedpopulation at the elderly people. Nowadays, as levels. But for some people
same time in the same countty. more and more clffldren are diet and exercise is not enougli
It's a very paradoxical situation. becon'iing obese, tlie i'islc of to control tlieir diabetes and
diabetes is iiicreasing iii yormg tliey need additional treahnent
I do not laiow of any coru'itiy people. I'm referi'ing to type 2 i n tlie form of pills or

tliat lias repoited a decrease in diabetes because tliere are ii isulin injections.
tlie munber of ovei'weiglit or several types of diabetes. Type
obese people. Wherever it lias l diabetes is tlie resrilt of an Q: You are talking about a
been measrired and exan'iined, autoimmune process wliere change of life style. Will

tliere is a constant increase. If tlie pancreas cells tliat produce some people then be
yori look at studies goixig back iiisulin are destroyed. So iii "cured"?
'o twenty or tliiity years, body type I diabetes people need
weiglit lias been constantly insuliii from outside tlie body There is no cure for
increasiiig. Tlie propoitions of in the fomi of iiijections in diabetes. But witli proper
people tliat are ovei'weiglit are order to sru'vive. Before the treatment, it is possible to
constantly increasing eveiy discovei'y of insulin, tliese avoid complications and
wliere. So tliat's a i'isk factor for people died witliin a veiy acliieve normal or near-

12 2 2007 Diva

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