Developing Life Skills to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes This essay will discuss one of the growing health problems: type 2 diabetes, in people aged 40 and above years. Older people are affected by type 2 diabetes. This essay will also briefly describe the Ottawa Charter and one of its areas of action: developing personal skills to address the health problem, type 2 diabetes, in older people. Developing personal skills through education is the key tool to address the problem of diabetes in this age group. People who have personal skills and techniques can succeed in tackling the problem. The majority of the essay will explore the application of one of the areas of action of the Ottawa Charter, developing personal capabilities, controlling, minimizing and promoting people's health. Diabetes is one of the growing health problems worldwide (Magliano et al 2008). Type 2 diabetes is a common and rapidly growing disease. Globally, approximately four million people die every year due to complications of diabetes and their life expectancy has been reduced by an average of 15 years (Vuori 2007). The number of patients with type 2 diabetes is expected to increase further by 2030 and is expected to double the current figure (Vuori 2007). People with type 2 diabetes will have a higher rate of increase in Australia over the coming decades as the population ages and becomes increasingly overweight (Magliano et al 2008). The Australian population is made up of migrants from different parts of the world. Proportionately, people born overseas have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people born in Australia (Liu et al 2009). Therefore, there is a high possibility that many people in Australia will be affected by diabetes in the next... half of the article... "iabetes", Geriaction Autumn 2009,Vol. 27, no. 1, March. Magliano, DJ, Shaw, JE, Shortreed, SM, Nusselder, WJ, Liew, D, Barr, EL, Zimmet, PZ & Peeters, A 2008, 'Lifetime risk and predicted population prevalence of diabetes', Diabetologia, vol.51, pp.2179-2186, viewed 15 May 2011. Norris SL, Lua, J, Smith SJ, Schmid CH & Engelgau, MM 2002, 'Self-Management Education for Adults With Type 'Diabetes', Diabetes Care, Vol. 25 n.7, July, pp.1159-1171.Satterfield, DW, Volansky, M, Caspersen, CJ, Engelgau, MM, Bowman, BA, Gregg, EW, Geiss, LS, Hosey, GM, May, J & Vinicor , F 2003, 'Community-based lifestyle interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes', Diabetes Care, vol.26, no.9, September, pp.2643-2652, viewed 10 May 2011. Vuori, I 2007, 'Physical activity and health: metabolic and cardiovascular problems', Advances in Physiotherapy, vol. 9 pp. 50-64, April.