Diabetes burdens Middle East health systems Saudi women at a fast food restaurant in a Riyadh mall The prevalence of diabetes is soaring in populations across the Middle East and north Africa and the burden on the region's healthcare system is set to increase unless more action is taken to change lifestyles, data show. One in 10 adults has diabetes, half of them undiagnosed, and cases of Type 2 diabetes are rapidly increasing in the region. Without lifestyle changes, a quarter of the Middle East's population will be affected by 2035, according to the International Diabetes Federation. A deadly combination of overeating and junk food, along with low levels of exercise, is undermining attempts to control the spread of the disease, which is linked to obesity. With the incidence of obesity increasing, especially among children, the growth of diabetes is one of the region's most pressing healthcare issues. "We have the highest prevalence in the world," said Adel El-Sayed, regional chair of the IDF, presenting the data to coincide with World Diabetes Day on November 14. That's because of our eating habits and a lack of exercise. The federation forecasts that diabetes in adults will almost double in the region over the next two decades, rising from 37m, or 10 per cent of the population, to 68m, about a quarter of the population forecast in 2035. The disease led to 363,000 deaths in 2014, half of whom were under the age of 60. Across the region, the populous state of Egypt has the highest number of people with diabetes at 7.6m. But the impact of the epidemic is proportionally higher in the wealthy Gulf states. In Saudi Arabia, 24 per cent of the population is affected by the disease, with 23 per cent in Kuwait, 22 per cent in Bahrain, 20 per cent in Qatar and 19 per cent in the United Arab Emirates. In the UAE, the number of diabetics, currently pegged at 804,000, is expected to triple by 2035. The federation says that up to 70 per cent of incidences of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by adopting healthier lifestyles, and is calling for governments to use more regulation to encourage different eating and exercise habits. Dr Fathiya al-Awadhi of the Dubai Health Authority said the emirate was taking action to encourage healthier lifestyles. The government has published guidelines for school canteens and is promoting healthy lunch boxes at ministries and state-owned companies, where most Emiratis work. Dubai has also invested in walking and cycling tracks to encourage exercise in a society that in two generations has gone from an active outdoor existence to one dominated by driving and mall culture. In the meantime, however, healthcare costs are mounting. Spending on diabetes care is set to rise from $16.8bn in 2014 to $24.7bn in 2035, the federation forecasts. "This epidemic has the potential to impact economics and bankrupt healthcare systems," warned Dr El-Sayed. But he added that the region was spending far less on treatment than other countries. Although 9 per cent of the world's diabetes sufferers live in the Middle East and north Africa, regional governments spend only 3 per cent of the world's healthcare diabetes budget. The US is the biggest spender on diabetes, at $9,880 a head, but in the region the AAE is the largest spender at $2,228 a head. Saudi Arabia spends $943 and Egypt just $176. "Even in rich countries, we have problems with the spending on diabetes," Dr El-Sayed said. This situation can't continue - we have to lobby governments.