The Rates of Diabetes in the Ethnic Groups of the United Kingdom

                The rates of diabetes in countries seems to have a direct correlation to the numbers on the weight scales, if the average weight in a country goes up it is a near certainty that the rates of diabetes will be on the rise as well.  However, weight may not be the only predictor that we can use when trying to determine the odds that someone is likely to develop diabetes.  A recent study has shown that ethnic minorities are more likely to get diabetes by the age of 80 then those who are native to the United Kingdom.  “The study, which tracked 5,000 Londoners for more than 20 years, found that by age 80, twice as many South Asian, African and African Caribbean men and women had developed diabetes compared with Europeans of the same age. This means that approximately half of all South Asians, Africans and African Caribbean’s in Britain will develop the disease by age 80 compared with only one in five of European descent, the researchers said”.  One of the main reasons why scientists believe the rates for minorities in the United Kingdom is that they are just getting accustomed to the western lifestyle, while those who are originally from the United Kingdom have had time to adapt to the Western lifestyle, which generally includes the lack of proper diet and exercise. 

Like many other countries throughout the world diabetes has become a major health concern for the United Kingdom both financially and health wise.  “In the UK, an estimated 11.9 billion pounds ($19.1 billion) a year is spent on treating diabetes and its complications which include heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease and blindness”.  Looking to find a way to curb the rates of diabetes throughout the United Kingdom is one of their government’s top goals as it puts the rest of its health care system into a bind by forcing so much of its resources and dollars into one health problem.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/10/13783957-astonishingly-high-diabetes-rates-found-in-ethnic-groups-in-uk?lite