When we think about how modern medicine will affect the future, I always think that diseases will be on the decline, because cures are surely on the horizon.
According to some research, though, diabetes will affect over 1 billion people in the next 25 years.
That’s more than double the current number of people with that diagnosis and is a huge concern for the population, as diabetes is also associated with heart issues, kidney problems, and many other health failures.
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Researchers claim this looming epidemic is due to an increase in obesity. So even though medicine is advancing, our health and life expectancy is declining due to our relative affluence.
There’s a monetary cost associated with this rise in diabetes patients, too; the cost of treating the illness will be between $1.3 trillion-$2.5 trillion by 2030.
The WHO is responding with new initiatives for prevention and treatment, but only time will tell whether or not it will have significant impact or success.
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One more thing to keep in the back of your mind when you’re making daily choices. Because while many people these days are saying that people are “healthy at any size”… biological facts about how our bodies respond to the extra weight we put on it are immutable.
In other words, the world may be more advanced than ever, but your health isn’t something that’s easily replaced.
So make good decisions and take care of yourself.