DIABETES

There are two types of diabetes. Type I is something you are born with, and is relatively rare. Type II is something you get during life, and is associated with bad, sugary diets and a lack of exercise. In Danish it's known as "old man's diabetes".

The number of cases is exploding here. In 2010, 286,534 Danes had been diagnosed with Type II diabetes, roughly 5% of the population, and more than two and a half times the number in 1997. Doctors believe that about the same number have the disease, but don't realise it. The official number is confidently expected to rise to 500,000 within the next decade. Those most at risk are teenagers and adults in their 40's.

The costs to society are huge. Basically Denmark eats too much sugar and is far too fat. This author can confirm this on the basis of a casual survey taken during last weekend's heatwave. A lot of people took the opportunity to shed their clothes; it was not always a pretty sight.

Walter Blotscher