Hurrah for the UN for Passing Landmark Resolution Recognizing the Threat of Diabetes

Hurrah for the United Nations General Assembly for passing a landmark resolution recognizing the global threat of the diabetes epidemic.

It's about time! This is a much-needed, and long-awaited resolution, because not only is diabetes much-ignored and deadly disease, but it's responsible for nearly 4 million deaths each year. Not only that, but it's the leading cause of heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation.

The worldwide figures, as I point out in my book SUGAR SHOCK!, are outright scary:

More than 380 million people around the globe will have diabetes by 2025 if significant action isn't taken. More than 300 million of these people will live in developing countries.

But, bear in mind, that most people with diabetes have the type 2 variety, which often can be prevented or at least properly controled, as researchers have been discovering.

What this new resolution means is that beginning next year, you'll hear lots of info about diabetes around the world from U.N. member nations before and on November 14, which has now been designated as World Diabetes Day.

Not only does the resolution call on all U.N. member nations to observe that day, but it urges them to institute national policies to prevent, treat and care for diabetes.

Interestingly, despite the devasatation that diabetes wreaks, this is "the first time governments have acknowledged that a non-infectious disease poses as serious a threat to world health as infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria."

According to the PR release, this "Unite for Diabetes campaign has brought together the largest ever diabetes coalition, including patient organizations from over 150 countries, the majority of the world's scientific and professional diabetes societies, many charitable foundations, service organizations and industry."

Professor Martin Silink, IDF President and Chair of the campaign, called the "significance" of the resolution "monumental. It will inspire, energize and empower the diabetes world. People said it couldn't be done, but only six months since launching our campaign, we have achieved our first goal. The struggle will now focus on helping and encouraging governments worldwide to develop national policies to improve diabetes care and prevention. I couldn't think of a better gift for the millions of families affected by diabetes."

This is all very, very exciting, but I'd also like to see information spread around the world as to how all those sugary foods you eat could lead to diabetes in the first place. Because, armed with information such as this, people might take action, which could lead to a reduction in the number of people with this disease.