Type 2 Diabetes In The Middle East - Essay Example

Type 2 Diabetes In The Middle East The region witnessed the exact changes of urban landscape, demography, changes in lifestyle, rates of obesity, and metabolic sets of symptoms between 2005 and 2013 considered ideal for widespread type 2 diabetes. The following paper discusses why diabetes is prevalent in this region, its impact, responses made towards this illness, their effectiveness, and measures the Middle East can easily adopt. Type 2 Diabetes in the Middle East Since 1980, the occurrence of type 2 diabetes has risen drastically in the Middle East. This trend corresponds with increased industrial growth. Six Middle Eastern countries, UAE (United Arab Emirates), Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, lead in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes across the world (Badran & Laher, 2012, p. 4). An approximated 9.1% of the whole Middle Eastern population had type 2 diabetes in 2011, which translated to 32.8 million individuals (Badran & Laher, 2012, p. 5). By 2013, this percentage had risen to 10.5% of all Middle Eastern countries. This surge of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East represents a mortality rate of nearly 280,000 annually in the demographic of 20 to 70 years of age (Badran & Laher, 2012, p. 5). Researchers attribute this death rate to type 2 diabetes similarities in both sexes. All diabetes-related deaths in the Middle East happen to people below 60 years (Badran & Laher, 2012, p. 5). WHO projects that the Middle East will account for the biggest rise in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes across the globe in 2030. UK’s medical periodical “The Lancet” predicts that the population with diabetes in this region will reach 60 million in 2030 (Habibzadeh, 2012, p. 1). Both projections are more or less similar but demonstrate the devastating outcome of widespread sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. According to WHO, the biggest rise in mortality from chronic illnesses will take place in Africa and the Middle East. This predictive statistic is the product of a systematic analysis of 24 studies, which also showed the pooled occurrence of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East as 10.5%. More specifically, over 1% of Iran’s urban population over the age of 20 acquired type 2 diabetes in 2013 (Habibzadeh, 2012, p. 1). The most significant impact of type 2 diabetes on Middle Eastern communities is their health investments. Healthcare expenses are continually rising in the Middle East. The federation recently set expenditure for fighting both types of diabetes to increase from the current $16.8 billion to $22 billion in 2030 and $24.7 billion in 2035 (Bell, 2013; Kerr, 2014). This increase in healthcare investment is enough to bankrupt health industries of smaller UAE members and Middle Eastern countries. Investments in healthcare systems represent a financial burden to the Middle East, which is an economic impact. Another financial burden caused by type 2 diabetes is the loss of productivity. In 2007, Setrakian published a report stating that the Middle East lost $8 billion in worker output. The IDF (International Diabetes Federation) said 14% of the entire healthcare budget in the Middle East was dedicated to fighting type 2 diabetes in 2010 (Skugor, 2012). Social impacts of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East largely involve religious rituals related to significant changes in eating habits. Islam is the most prevalent religion in this region, which particularly includes a fasting ceremony called Ramadan. Muslims do not eat, drink, or have sexual interaction during Ramadan. Annually, over 50 million Muslims with type 2 diabetes fast in the course of Ramadan (Habibzadeh, 2012, p. 1). Caregivers are required to know the degree of fasting that diabetics engage in because of the risks this ritual poses on these people’s lives. Evidently, type 2 diabetes is affecting religious practices in the Middle East negatively. Type 2 diabetics greatly risk hypoglycemia when they fast. As a result, changing drug dosages during Ramadhan proves problematic for physicians in the Middle East (Habibzadeh, 2012, p. 1). Different countries in the Middle East undertook few measures to counter the high occurrence of type 2 diabetes. Three of the measures include reducing the consumption of white bread, education programs, and encouraging healthier diets. Unpacked and promoted bakeries account for 99% of the white bread in the Middle East (Culliney, 2014). In spite of this minor market niche, there is a vast degree of opportunity to go into the market with packed, healthier bread diversities. According to Lamine Lahouasnia, residents of Middle Eastern countries need to quit consuming white bread to lower the likelihoods of developing type 2 diabetes (Culliney, 2014). The Middle East has responded with education programs to spread knowledge about the causes, symptoms, and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Lahouasnia said it was imperative for Arab governments to drive education programs about the impacts of steady exercise on body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol (Culliney, 2014). The UAE and Kuwait set up initiatives to teach parents about healthy behavior that is key for children at home and school. These governments argued that education is crucial especially during for children just forming their eating and exercise patterns. Lastly, encouraging healthier diets is a response by some Middle Eastern companies to lower the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. In 2012, the Dubai Health Authority said UAE is taking the plunge to promote healthier ways of life by issuing instructions for healthier foods for school cafeterias. The UAE also encourages healthy lunch packs at government-run organizations that make up the largest Emirati workforce (Kerr, 2014). Encouraging healthier ways of life and education program have been more successful than lowering people’s rates of consuming white bread. Euromonitor International is the least effective response possibly because it targets bakeries more than it does the average consumer. Between 2012 and mid-2014, the Dubai Health Authority has recorded significant developments in diabetes therapy and education because of their promotion of healthy diets amongst civil servants. UAE and Kuwait also received financial support from IDF and WHO in 2013 to continue their education programs in remote regions of their respective countries. The United States has had more effective responses to their occurrence of type 2 diabetes than the Middle East. For instance, in 2009, the United States health sector enacted health care services, safety, and promotion measures to counter the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (Gregg, 2009, p. 44). These responses succeeded in alleviating serious complications or hospital admissions, decreasing rates of amputation, cases of final stage renal illness, and death rates (Gregg, 2009, p. 45). The Middle East could borrow and implement these three measures from the United States and stall risk factors like sedentary lifestyle and unbalanced diets. In conclusion, the Middle East can lower the rates of type 2 diabetes by changing dietary behavior and lifestyles, and adopt more successful response programs such as the United States' healthcare services, safety, and promotion. Chances of getting type 2 diabetes rise in line with the increase in the occurrence of obesity and metabolic sets of symptoms. Such changes have risen quickly in developing nations in the past decade, which have led to a more prominent increase in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. Scientific projections show that this occurrence is also anticipated in developing nations since they were observed in developed nations in the past. Increasing incomes resulted in adjustments in the culture that further caused people to engage in poor nutrition and lower physical activity. References Badran, M. & Laher, I. 2012. Type II Diabetes Mellitus in Arabic-Speaking Countries. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2012(902873), p. 1-11. Bell, J., 2013. UAE health alert for 300,000 people with hidden diabetes. The National, [online] 14 November. Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2014]. Culliney, K., 2014. Euromonitor: Middle East diabetes surge spells healthy bread prospects. Bakery and Snacks [online] 6 February. Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2014]. Gregg, E., 2009. Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes: 2009 Middle Eastern Region Epidemiology Supercourse Bibliotheca Alexandria, Egypt. Epidemiology and Statistics Branch, Division of Diabetes Translation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Atlanta, GA. Habibzadeh, F., 2012. Diabetes in the Middle East. The Lancet Middle East Edition, 380, p.1. Kerr, S., 2014. Diabetes burdens Middle East health systems. Financial Times, [online] 14 November. Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2014]. Skugor, M., 2012. Burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Middle East. Arab Health, [online] issue 5. Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2014]. Read More