What your home address reveals about your risk of developing diabetes
Your postal code may increase your risk for diabetes, according to a study released October 2007.
The study examined 140 neighbourhoods in Toronto for three years and found that where you live, immigration and poverty are key risk factors for developing Type-2 or adult-onset diabetes, a disease that has reached epidemic proportions.
"Not only were diabetes rates highest in socially disadvantaged areas, but for those groups, living in an area that is less 'activity friendly' and has worse access to healthy resources was associated with an even higher rate of diabetes," says Dr. Gillian Booth, an endocrinologist with St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and co-lead author of the study, conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto.
In particular, the study found that:
-Rates are highest in areas with lower income, higher unemployment, more visible minorities and higher immigration.
-Visible minorities -- South and East Asian, Afro-Caribbean and those of Hispanic descent -- are at a higher risk than people of European descent.
-High diabetes areas tend to be outside of the downtown core, where there are fewer amenities in walking distance and poorer access to public transportation.
"Modern life is taking a toll on our health," explains Booth. “We jump in our cars too often, our kids are spending too much time watching television and playing video games, we're eating more calories. As a society we're becoming more sedentary and we're not making as healthy food choices as we can.” Modern conveniences, she says, are perpetuating the rise of obesity -- one in two Canadians is now considered overweight. Obesity is directly linked to the surge in diabetes, which has increased 69 per cent over the last decade and which reduces life expectancy by 15 years.
Although the study centered on Toronto, which has some of the richest and poorest neighbourhoods in the country, the findings are not unique to the Ontario capital. Most large urban areas tend to follow the same trends in modern neighbourhood design -- a sprawling community that forces people to rely on their cars to do the most basic errands, from grocery shopping to taking children to school.
A bright spot, says Booth, is that the situation is reversible. The study recommends:
-Investing in high-risk communities to reduce and improve control of diabetes in those stricken with the disease.
-Changing zoning, development and planning practices to reduce urban sprawl -- making neighbourhoods more “walk-able” by having amenities closer to the center of the community rather than on the outskirts.
-Offering incentives for businesses that provide fresh produce and other healthy services to move into lacking neighbourhoods.
-Limiting consumption of high-fat/high-calorie fast foods and promoting healthy food choices and menu options.
But we, as individuals, need to take matters into our own hands, says Booth. “We have to change the way we live. And to do that, we need to change our mindset. It's not about going to the gym, it's about all the small changes you can make in your daily life to be more physically active and to make healthier choices.”
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