Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
12 February 2014 08:52
Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity and unhealthy lifestyles
New figures show the number of British adults with diabetes has topped 3.2 million, a trend which experts say confirms "an unfolding public health disaster".
Diabetes UK says the rise - from just 1.4 million 18 years ago - has been driven by increasing numbers of type 2 diabetes cases that are linked to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity.
According to the latest NHS figures just over 3.2 million adults now have a diabetes diagnosis, but estimates show a further 850,000 have the condition without knowing so.
Last year saw the biggest rise in the number of new cases since 2008, leaving about one in 17 (6%) UK adults with a diabetes diagnosis.
As well as health issues having diabetes can have implications for people going away on holiday but they can easily arrange pre-existing medical travel insurance for peace of mind.
Baroness Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "The big increase in the number of people with diabetes confirms that we are in the middle of an unfolding public health disaster that demands urgent action."
She said the only way to bring the problem under control was to put more focus on the prevention of type 2 diabetes. And that, she said, meant identifying more people at high risk of developing diabetes and then giving them the support they need to reduce their chances of getting it.
Baroness Young said with the rapid rise in type 2 diabetes being fuelled by the UK's obesity crisis it is vital people are helped to be more physically active and given easier access to cheaper healthy food.
She added that although diabetes accounts for 10% of NHS spending - most of it going on the treatment of complications such as kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and amputation - the priority the condition is given doesn't "reflect the size of the shadow it is casting over our nation's health".
The charity's chief executive said there was now an "urgent need to grasp the nettle" and focus on preventing the complications arising in the first place.
18 August 2018
Diets that replace carbohydrates with protein or fat should be avoided due to a possible association with shortened life spans, scientists have warned.
[more...]
17 August 2018
People living with HIV could be offered a long-lasting injection that controls the virus and protects patients from developing AIDS.
16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.