Type 2 diabetes exacts a huge toll in human suffering
and money. It accounts for more than $100 billion of healthcare costs in the US
annually.
Worldwide, there are thought to be 150 million cases,
a conservative estimate. At its present rate of increase, within a few decades it will
be one of the world's biggest health problems, with an estimated half a billion cases.
Why is the prevalence of type 2 diabetes now
exploding in most populations, but not in Europeans?
Nature
Magazine suggests that the genetic and evolutionary consequences of geographical
differences in food history may provide the answer.
