China's diabetes rate is expected to rise in the coming years, as an estimated 150 million Chinese face the risk of being afflicted by the disease by 2040.

But what is most worrisome is that a large portion of the nation's younger population will most likely develop diabetes if steps are not taken to improve their eating habits and exercise regimen, reported the China Daily.

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Based on findings of the World Health Organization, around 150 million Chinese now live with diabetes.

"Rates of Type 2 diabetes in China have exploded in the last couple of decades," noted WHO representative Bernhard Schwartlander who is concerned with China's rising diabetes rate.

Recent studies have shown that more than 80 percent of Chinese people aged between11 to 17 are not getting enough physical exercise, leading to the sharp increase in obesity among children.

"In 1980, less than 5 percent of Chinese men had diabetes. Now, more than 10 percent do," he pointed out. "This increase has been largely driven by unhealthy lifestyles－diets that are too high in sugar and fat, and people not getting enough physical activity."

According to the WHO, Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes across the globe, and affects about 90 percent of those who have the disease.

It occurs when the body is unable to process insulin, a condition which is often caused by excess body weight and lack of physical activity.

There is still no known cure for diabetes, which if left untreated can lead to heart disease, kidney failure and blindness.

Yang Wenying, chairwoman of the Diabetes Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and a professor of metabolic diseases at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, revealed that Type 2 diabetes rates are rising fast among those under 14s.

"There are no official figures for the number of patients within that age group, but doctors have noticed an increasing number of such patients in recent years, and most of them are obese," Wang said.

It has been said that increasing incidence of diabetic cases is the result of the nation's family planning policy over the past several decades.

To date, more than 5.8 million Chinese children under 5 have been diagnosed as overweight, one of the main contributing factors in the steep rise in China's diabetes rate.   

Tagschina, WHO, Diabetes Rate