Men living in remote areas of Australia are more likely than their more urban counterparts to die of complications from diabetes. Men are also more likely than women to die from diabetes. Aborigines are about four times as likely to die from diabetes than any other Australian citizens. Some of the reasons given for the higher incidence of death in these geographical regions are higher incidence of smoking and obesity. I wonder whether it might also be that the decision to live in the Australian outback denotes a certain ruggedness which doesn't seem consistent with seeking medical care.It is also likely that in remote portions of Australia, cutting edge medical care is less available than it is in the urban centers, just as rural areas of the United States are often described as "underserved."
