Diabetes in Asia

WHO data bears this out. According to a March report, the number of adults living with diabetes globally has increased to 422 million from 108 million in 1980. The western Pacific region, including China and Japan, account for 131 million.

In India, the number of diabetes patients totaled 31.7 million in 2000 and is projected to rise to 79 million by 2030. Diabetes is expected to be the world's seventh largest killer by 2030 "unless intense and focused efforts are made by governments, communities and individuals," Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO's regional director for Southeast Asia, said recently to the Times of India.

Along with growing urbanization and rising per capita income have come changing social perceptions, fast-food diets and the overconsumption of relatively unhealthy foods typically associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and some cancers. In step with changing public demand, the private sector has responded as new market opportunities have emerged.

Businesses ranging from weight loss clinics to "detox centers" and fitness clubs have appeared in countries that might once have been characterized by consumers more focused on meeting basic daily needs than on specialized health, allergy and cosmetic treatments.

A case in point is Asia's burgeoning weight management industry. Euromonitor International estimates that the industry will grow to $202 billion in 2018, with most growth coming from emerging markets. Already in 2013, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 12% of weight management retail sales globally, growing by 57% from 2008.