More than 400 million people worldwide have diabetes, and in 30 years the number will probably be almost twice as many.

In the shadow of Corona, the dangerous metabolic disease is unstoppable.

But why can't it be stopped?

And what does it mean for quality of life?

We talked about it with the Tübingen diabetologist Professor Baptist Gallwitz.

WORLD:

What are the main causes of the diabetes boom?

Baptist Gallwitz:

We were actually directed by evolution as hunters and gatherers, i.e. towards a meager life in which it was a great advantage to be a good feed processor. Because one moved a lot, and the resulting calorie requirement was only offset by a scarce and unreliable food supply. However, we shot that completely. The lack of exercise on the one hand is now offset by a high-calorie food supply on the other. As a result, the cells become insensitive to insulin, the only messenger substance that helps them absorb sugar.