V Editorial Burden of Diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Arabia

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one of the fastest-growing health problem in the world, which is now reaching to epidemic proportion in some countries. It is mainly due to consequence of life-style as lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, obesity and overweight. Over the past four decades major socio-economic changes have occurred in Saudi Arabia. The growth and prosperity have brought pronounced changes in the lifestyle of the people. Most notably, eating habits are less healthful and the level of physical activity has declined. There is increased consumption of fast foods and sugar-dense beverages (e.g., sodas). Simultaneously, technological advances – cars, elevators, escalators, remotes- have led to a decrease in level of activity. Traditional dependence on locally grown natural produce such as fruits, vegetables and wheat has also shifted. This has resulted in the dramatic increase in the diabetes prevalence. (1) Globally in 2013, it is estimated that almost 382 million people suffer from diabetes with a prevalence of 8.3%. Top 10 countries with higher prevalence of diabetes are Tokelau (37.5%), Federated States o