Diabetes epidemic hits New York as obesity rises
One in eight adults in New York has diabetes, even though many do not realize it, the city's health authorities revealed, warning the condition had reached epidemic proportions.
The New York City Health Department found that the number of diabetics in the city of eight million people had doubled in the past 10 years and said the dramatic jump mirrored an increase in obesity.
A new survey by the department found that while 12.5 percent of the city's adults have diabetes, about one third of them -- more than 200,000 people -- were unaware of their disease.
"New York City is getting healthier by almost all measures, but the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes are getting worse by the year," Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said, unveiling the new data.
The department further warned that more than 100,000 patients were at heightened risk of heart attack, blindness, amputations, and other serious complications because their diabetic condition was not being well-controlled.
The findings, gleaned from household visits, interviews, physical exams and laboratory tests, showed the level of diabetes -- both diagnosed and hidden -- in New York City residents to be above the nationwide level of 10.3 percent.
It warned that a further 23.5 percent of adults had blood sugar levels that showed they were at risk of developing diabetes in the future.
The survey, which gathered data from some 2,000 randomly selected New Yorkers, revealed a marked spike among Asians, 16.0 percent of whom suffered from diabetes, compared with 14.3 percent among blacks and 10.8 percent among whites.
According to the World Health Organization, at least 171 million people worldwide have diabetes -- the equivalent of around 2.6 percent of the global population. The agency predicts the figure will more than double by 2030.
Health commissioner Frieden identified physical activity, healthy diet and weight loss as factors that could help New Yorkers cope with the condition.
New York authorities are known for their aggressive policies in tackling the city's health woes, banning smoking in almost all public places in 2003 and last year outlawing the use of certain unhealthy cooking oils in restaurants.
Obesity in New York
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