DiscoverMore or LessIs RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?
Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?

Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?

Update: 2025-11-08
Share

Description

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

Comments 
loading
00:00
00:00
1.0x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?

Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?

BBC Radio 4