Diabetes is no longer a problem of developed countries, it is now spreading like an epidemic in the developing nations also. Uton M Rafel, regional director of the World Health Organisation Southeast Asia Region, says the number of diabetics in Southeast Asia reached 28 million in 1995 and is likely to increase to almost 80 million by the year 2025. He says that diabetes mellitus is an emerging health problem that is now affecting the South Asian countries.