As China puts on weight, type-2 diabetes is soaring

MORE THAN 30 years ago, doctors in the northern city of Daqing began a pioneering long-term study into the prevention of type-2 diabetes, a disease which was then thought to affect about 1% of Chinese. When doctors, academics and officials convened there this autumn to discuss the conclusions and promote prevention work, they faced a very different reality. About 11% of Chinese adults now have the condition, nearly the proportion in America and twice the level in Britain. Type-2 diabetes is becoming more common globally, but in recent years its prevalence has been growing fastest in China.

Diabetes is a dysfunction in the body’s regulation of blood-sugar levels. Type 1 is rare and usually shows up early in life, triggered by factors that are not yet well understood. It can kill swiftly unless managed with daily injections of insulin. Type 2 is far more common, accounting for more than 90% of cases worldwide. It tends to develop in adults, especially if they are overweight or do not exercise much. It can usually be controlled with pills and lifestyle changes, and can sometimes be reversed. Both types, if not well-treated, can cause complications such as organ damage, blindness, strokes and heart attacks.