Diabetes is perhaps among the top 5 most significant diseases in the world. According to WHO, more than 150 million people in the world suffer from diabetes and this number may double by the year 2025, primarily due to increasing unhealthy eating habits among people.

India already has 32 million people with diabetes, which account for one-fifth of the global population with diabetes. The number is estimated to grow to 57.2 million by 2025, which means every fifth diabetic patient in the world would be an Indian. The world's largest diabetes epidemic could hit India, if self-awareness is not created among people. There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 (insulin dependent diabetes) and Type 2 (non-insulin dependent diabetes). As per health data, the amount of type 2 diabetes is on the rise in Indian cities. Indians appear prone to developing diabetes later in life, and especially to its complications. The fact that four in five people with diabetes can develop a problem such as that of a heart attack, we need to understand that diabetes is a cardiovascular disease. Another worry confronting the Indian health authorities is the relatively young age at which diabetes is being diagnosed in many patients.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10-25 per cent of the 130 million sufferers worldwide. Adult-onset, or type 2 diabetes, affects up to a 100 million people worldwide. It is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and heart disease in adults. The world atlas reveals that the disease is rising between younger, economically productive people, and is particularly prevalent in urban areas. The number of children with insulin-dependent diabetes is increasing in developed countries throughout the world and the reason for this is unknown. Obesity is a known risk factor for the development of diabetes, in adults.