Features -Rates of diabetes soar in the UK

The UK is seeing an explosion of diabetes linked to growing obesity rates, experts are warning.
From 1997 to 2003 there was a 74% rise in new cases of diabetes.

And by 2005, more than 4% of the population was classed as having diabetes - nearly double the rate of 10 years earlier.

The bulk of cases are type 2 diabetes -which is linked to being overweight or obese - the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reports.

Over the course of the study, the proportion of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were obese increased by a fifth.

The researchers said: "Our results suggest that, although the incidence of diabetes remains lower in the UK than in the USA or Canada, it appears to be increasing at a faster pace."

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said projections suggested the worst was yet to come: "Rates of obesity and diabetes will continue to rise unless we do something urgently."

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This research is a sad indictment of the current state of the UK's health. Sadly, the statistics are not surprising as we know that the soaring rates of type 2 diabetes, are strongly linked to the country's expanding waistline.

"Research shows that losing weight can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%. It is imperative that we raise awareness of the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if we want to make any headway in defusing the diabetes time bomb."

There are currently over 2.5 million people with diabetes in the UK and there are more than half a million people with diabetes who have the condition and don't know it.

Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, although obesity is a risk factor, not all people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

According to Diabetes UK, statistics show that over 80% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

For the full story go to BBC News

Page created: 17th March 2009