Replies to post #139835 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Does anyone care to comment on the alarming statistic in #msg-74094967 that 13% of China’s adult population has type-2 diabetes? The concern is not only the 13% figure per se, but also the apparently rapid increase from the estimate of 10% given a short time ago (#msg-48221898).

[vinmantoo]

""The authors write in their study that an aging population in China likely explains some of their findings.

Older people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and the researchers note that 20 percent of Shanghai residents are over age 60, with that proportion increasing. ""

Assuming the statistics are accurate, a big if I grant you, but shouldn't it be easy to compare similar aged Chinese populations from a few years ago to now, or to compare the same age population in China to adjacent developed countries to get a reasonable estimate of the alarming increase.


""Koplan said many countries have programs to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent type 2 diabetes, but as of yet there's "not a proven documented intervention that can reverse this epidemic of obesity and epidemic of type 2 diabetes.""

Hasn't increased exercise and a better diet been shown to reduce or eliminate type 2 diabetes on an individual basis? I assume the negative assessment above refers to how difficult it is to get enough people to change their behavior so as impact the population averages.

[DewDiligence]

Factoid—Almost 40% of Chinese adults have BMI>=25, according to WHO:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/12/us-china-sleep-fastfood-idUSBRE88B11Q20120912