Although diabetes is commonly thought to develop later in life, I believe that awareness and preventive action are especially important for younger generations.
In South Korea, the number of people in their 20s and 30s living with diabetes increased by around 80% between 2014 and 2024, a dramatic rise. Dr. Lee Geuna from the Korea Association of Health Promotion’s Health Screening Center explained that young patients often have few noticeable symptoms and rarely feel something is wrong. Their participation in routine health check-ups is also low, leading to delays in diagnosis.
In Japan, the proportion of older adults estimated to have diabetes remains high. However, experts are increasingly concerned about the growing number of young people developing type 2 diabetes, a condition closely linked to lifestyle habits.
One of the major drivers behind this rise is the increasing prevalence of obesity. Among Japan’s younger population, obesity rates have been trending upward, particularly among young men. Meanwhile, young women continue to show a persistently high rate of being underweight, another long-standing public health challenge.
Obesity is influenced by lifestyle factors such as irregular eating patterns, lack of exercise, excessive stress, and alcohol consumption. Because habits are difficult to change, it is easy to imagine how maintaining these patterns can eventually lead to illness. On the other hand, if healthy routines are established early in life, long-term health becomes much more achievable.
Active self-management is key to preventing diabetes. Although November marks the end of Diabetes Awareness Month, the year-end period often disrupts regular routines. I hope young people will avoid overconfidence in their health simply because they are young, and instead take steps to look after their well-being.
How Does Diabetes Look in the UK?
The UK faces its own significant diabetes challenge:
- More than 5 million people in the UK are currently living with diabetes (mostly type 2).
- Diabetes prevalence has been steadily rising across all age groups, and alarmingly, younger adults are increasingly affected.
- According to Diabetes UK, the number of people under 40 with type 2 diabetes has been growing rapidly over the past decade. This early-onset type 2 diabetes tends to progress more aggressively, increasing the risk of long-term complications.
- Similar to Japan and South Korea, key drivers include higher rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and increased consumption of high-calorie, processed foods.
- In England, around 38% of people aged 18–34 are already overweight or obese, which raises concerns about future diabetes trends.
Public health campaigns (e.g., the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme) are focusing heavily on lifestyle interventions—healthy diet, regular physical activity, and early identification of at-risk individuals.
In short, the UK mirrors the concerns seen in East Asia: diabetes is no longer limited to older adults, and preventing it early in life is an urgent and growing priority.