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Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?

The US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is on a mission to make America healthy again.

The US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is on a mission to make America healthy again.

One of his health-promotion ideas is to reduce chronic illness, specifically diabetes. And has part of his campaign he said that:

"a typical pediatrician would see one case of diabetes in his lifetime, over a 40 or 50 year career. Today, 1 out of every 3 kids who walks through his office door is prediabetic or diabetic. Twenty years ago, there was no diabetes in China, today 50% of the population is diabetic'

Diabetes does carry a huge burden of health, but are his numbers right and how much of a problem is diabetes in the US and around the globe?

We speak to diabetes expert and co-author of the Diabetes Atlas, Professor Dianna Magliano to find out more.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Studio Manager: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon

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9 minutes

Podcast