Diabetes rates have quadrupled since 1990 - these are the 4 reasons

That's more than four times the number of people who had the disease in 1990, according to a Thursday announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The prevalence of the disease has grown more quickly in low- and middle-income countries, where there is also the least access to treatment.

Diabetes directly led to 1.6 million deaths in 2021, with nearly half of them occurring before 70 years of age, WHO stated.

Another 530,000 related deaths were attributed to kidney disease.

"Eating a diet high in fat and processed sugar can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes," the ADA wrote.

Experts recommend that American adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, along with at least two days of muscle-strengthening exercises.

Although excess weight increases diabetes risk, the ADA notes that many diabetes patients are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.

"Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes," the ADA noted.

Rising obesity rates and high-sugar diets go hand in hand, experts say.

"Healthy food is expensive, as are gym memberships, which means that not all people can afford them - or get to them if they live in rural areas," she told Fox News Digital.

"The number of adults living with diabetes has likely increased due to the ease and prevalence of ordering convenient foods from the comfort of home," she told Fox News Digital.

An increase in sedentary lifestyles is also a key contributing factor.

"We've become increasingly more sedentary as a society for a whole host of reasons, from increasing work hours to too much time spent using technology, like social media," said Masturzo.

Around one-third of adults worldwide did not meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022, according to WHO.

"To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must urgently take action," WHO's Tedros wrote in the release. 

To reduce diabetes rates, Masturzo calls for regulators to "step up and ensure that they enforce healthy food options."

"Many other countries are far ahead of the U.S. when it comes to such regulations today, particularly in relation to food additives and food labels," she emphasized. 

Kelly recommends that diabetes patients work with a registered dietitian who can help them create "sustainable nutrition practices that support blood sugar control and management."

In tandem with Thursday's call to action, WHO also announced the launch of a "global monitoring framework on diabetes" to give countries guidance in measuring and evaluating diabetes prevention and care.

"By tracking key indicators such as glycemic control, hypertension and access to essential medicines, countries can improve targeted interventions and policy initiatives," WHO wrote.