The rapid growth in diabetes prevalence constitutes one of the greatest global health emergencies of the 21st century. Currently, diabetes affects 10% of the worldwide population, accounting for almost 1 trillion US dollars in expenditure.
The increasing prevalence of obesity in childhood is assumed to lead to an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in adult life. Previous observational studies have shown that changing from a relatively thin child to an overweight or obese adult provides an additional risk for type 2 diabetes, compared with current adulthood BMI.