Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the sugar level of the human body increases above normal. It happens when the body can’t produce or use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body process sugar into energy. When this process is disturbed, there is a lot of glucose in the blood, and this causes diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is more common across the world than type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs as a result of people’s bad lifestyle choices, such as eating junk food or eating irregularly with no physical activity, obesity, and so on. Type 2 diabetes itself isn’t that dangerous, but the circumstances of it are more dangerous, which include amputation, cutting a body part to prevent further spread of diabetes.

In Pakistan, diabetes has become one of the most serious public health challenges. Once it was observed in some urban areas, but now it is common in both rural and urban areas. Approximately 34.5 million people are suffering from diabetes, as per the WHO reports of 2025. According to the WHO, Pakistan is among the countries with higher rates of diabetic patients. As per the reports provided by IDF, 11 million adults in Pakistan have a risk of having type 2 diabetes due to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The rapid rise of diabetes in Pakistan is due to changing lifestyles, poor dietary habits, and gaps in public health awareness mechanisms.

The following are some early symptoms of diabetes:

Frequently losing weight

Diabetes has variations; each variation or type has different symptoms. Early diagnosis can be beneficial in curing it. If it is not treated properly, then it may damage some vital organs of the human body. The most common symptom of diabetes is a foot ulcer, which may lead to amputation. In diabetes, the symptoms can be mild and may take many years to be noticed.

Major Causes of the Rise in Diabetes in Pakistan

The following are some of the major reasons behind the rise of diabetes in Pakistan.

Due to urbanization in Pakistan, the way of living has changed. This has decreased physical activity. In the past, people went to the office by cycle or on foot, but now they use different vehicles. In the past, instead of mobile phones, children and adults used to play outdoor games daily. This lack of physical activity in Pakistan has led to an increase in diabetes.

There are many countries like Korea and Japan, which are also urbanized and more developed than Pakistan, but still, they have a low rate of diabetes. This is because they use cycles or........

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