KFC shop in Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamWednesday, July 07, 2010
AFP
SYDNEY — The growing popularity of Western junk food is fuelling a diabetes boom across Southeast Asia, Australian researchers warned on Wednesday.
Studies found about 11 percent of men and 12 percent of women in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City had type 2 diabetes without knowing it, on top of the four percent of people who are diagnosed sufferers.
"Dietary patterns have been changing dramatically in Vietnam in recent years, particularly in the cities as they become more Westernised," said Tuan Nguyen of Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
"There are fast food outlets everywhere."
He said the findings, based on testing a random sample of 721 men and 1,421 women, mirrored the results of a similar study carried out in Thailand.
"Because of that, we feel very confident that we can extrapolate our findings to other parts of Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos," he said.
Type 2, the most common form of diabetes, is caused by high levels of fat and sugar in the diet and a lack of exercise, and can lead to heart disease, vision loss, limb amputation and kidney failure.
Co-author Lesley Campbell said developing countries were facing a "sad story" where they are affected by Western lifestyle diseases alongside hunger and poverty, but without the health resources to treat them.
"Unfortunately, we are watching, in just over a generation, a very rapid increase in diabetes" in developing nations, she said.
The researchers have developed a simple risk assessment for diabetes, using only blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio, which they hope will help doctors detect those most likely to have the disease.
Studies found about 11 percent of men and 12 percent of women in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City had type 2 diabetes without knowing it, on top of the four percent of people who are diagnosed sufferers.
"Dietary patterns have been changing dramatically in Vietnam in recent years, particularly in the cities as they become more Westernised," said Tuan Nguyen of Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
"There are fast food outlets everywhere."
He said the findings, based on testing a random sample of 721 men and 1,421 women, mirrored the results of a similar study carried out in Thailand.
"Because of that, we feel very confident that we can extrapolate our findings to other parts of Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos," he said.
Type 2, the most common form of diabetes, is caused by high levels of fat and sugar in the diet and a lack of exercise, and can lead to heart disease, vision loss, limb amputation and kidney failure.
Co-author Lesley Campbell said developing countries were facing a "sad story" where they are affected by Western lifestyle diseases alongside hunger and poverty, but without the health resources to treat them.
"Unfortunately, we are watching, in just over a generation, a very rapid increase in diabetes" in developing nations, she said.
The researchers have developed a simple risk assessment for diabetes, using only blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio, which they hope will help doctors detect those most likely to have the disease.
7 comments:
That's good to have yuon have diabetes! I wish all yuon have type 2 so they all be death soon.
and Cambodia krom will come back to us without a bullet shot.
Cambodia Krom.
12:12PM Not a bad wish at all and it may be possible. However we would get the Cambodia Krom back not without a struggle. It's not necessary to resolve the issue by bullet but by peaceful mean.
My Prey Nokor, I missed you!
Is it an uncommon scense? KFC sign vs Hamer and sickle sign, HoChi Minh City where Capitalism met with communism.
i think in cambodia, french should open up the sandwich shops; cambodian people love to eat french style sandwiches. yes, american fast food is bad for health, instead cambodia should also look into encouraging middle eastern food and korea and japan food in cambodia as well as local food, of course.
how about subway in cambodia. subway is a good american food franchise.
How many percent of Cambodians could afford to eat this food ?
1%
well, first you have it in cambodia because economy sign and diversity is important. cater first to tourist and rich khmer market, then eventual every khmer person can enjoy french sandwich and american subway sandwich as well. haven't you forgot that everything has to start somewhere, somehow, so why not make cambodia have one too? it's all about healthy eating, too, you know! think like a business person, ok!
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