Climate change is already having concrete health consequences, say researchers. They attribute the global increase in type 2 diabetes partly to global warming, as outdoor temperatures affect fat metabolism.

Type 2 diabetes — the form of the disease that, unlike type 1 diabetes, develops over the course of a person's life — has become a widespread condition in recent decades. Worldwide, a total of 412 million adults have diabetes (2015), and estimates suggest this figure will rise to 642 million by 2040. In Central Europe, the number of people with diabetes has increased by around 40 per cent since 1998. In Austria, between 600,000 and 700,000 people are affected, 90 per cent of whom have type 2 diabetes.

An unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are considered the main causes of this metabolic disease. A higher body fat percentage causes cells to become increasingly unresponsive to insulin — a condition known as insulin resistance — and blood sugar levels rise. This can have consequences for the entire body, such as kidney damage, heart attacks, and chronic wounds.

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