PANAMA FALLOUT, SURGE IN DIABETES, EU’S ‘WEAK LINK’

GENEVA The world has seen a nearly fourfold increase in diabetes cases over the last quarter-century, driven by excessive weight, obesity, aging and population growth, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday, adding that 422 million people were affected in 2014.

The UN health agency called for stepped-up measures to reduce risk factors for diabetes and improve treatment and care. WHO said 8.5 per cent of the world population had diabetes two years ago, up from 4.7 per cent, or 108 million, in 1980.

“We need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active and avoid excessive weight gain,” WHO director-general Dr. Margaret Chan said Wednesday.

The Geneva-based agency blamed growing consumption of food and beverages high in sugar for the increase in diabetes.

Diabetes rates rose the most in Africa, the Middle East and Asia — with the “eastern Mediterranean” region more than doubling its prevalence to 13.7 per cent of the population.