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Episode details

World Service,30 Sep 2014,18 mins

The Diabetes Disaster

Business Daily

Available for over a year

Diabetes represents one of the greatest global health challenges. We hear from Lars Sorensen, chief executive of Novo Nordisk, the world's leading supplier of insulin - one of the main treatments for the condition. He outlines the state of the art new treatments in the pipeline, and what his business is doing to promote lifestyle choices that can prevent this killer disease. And, what about a tax on sugary drinks? Would that help people avoid the weight gain which is the main risk factor for the most common form of diabetes? Healthcare expert Jim O'Hara of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, sets out the case for such a tax; Christopher Snowdon Director of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs in the UK, argues against. Also, international brand names - they may give travellers some reassurance that they will get the hotel room or the cup of coffee they expect, but as James Hassam in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, explains all is not always what it seems.

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