Do you think that diabetes is a disease of the 21st century?

I heard many people say that diabetes is a disease of the 21st century because we have never had more diabetic people than we have now. 1 in 3 Americans is diabetic. Two of my friends have children who got diabetes a few years after they were born. My grandparents also have diabetes and I know many people who have it.

However, I don't think that we have more diabetic people now because diabetes is more prevalent. I think we have more diabetic people than before because now people with diabetes don't die as often. The reason why there were fewer diabetic people in the past is because many of them would have died. That is my logic.

What do you think?