Diabetes UK: 1.7 million people in the UK needlessly have Type 2 diabetes

Wednesday, 3 June 2009 12:00 AM

1.7 million people in the UK needlessly have Type 2 diabetes¹, warns leading health charity Diabetes UK as it launches its national Measure Up Roadshow to tackle the diabetes timebomb.

There are 2.2 million people in the UK with Type 2 diabetes and yet 80 per cent of these cases could have been prevented through a healthy diet and increased physical activity.

Diabetes is the UK's fastest-growing long-term condition. By 2025, there will be an estimated 4.2 million people with diabetes in the UK and the bulk of these cases will be Type 2. This massive increase will also mean higher costs for the NHS which already spends £1 million an hour treating diabetes and its complications. Type 2 diabetes can be undetected for 10 years or more, meaning 50 per cent of people already have complications by the time they are diagnosed.

In a bid to prevent further needless cases of Type 2 diabetes, Diabetes UK is launching its national Measure Up Roadshow on Wednesday 3 June to help people find out more about diabetes and discover whether they are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The Measure Up Roadshow, which runs from June to December and will visit 110 locations across the UK, encourages people to measure their waists to see if they are at risk of Type 2 diabetes, as having a large waist means you are up to 12 times more likely to develop the condition. At risk waist measurements are 37 inches or more for men, except those of South Asian origin who are at risk at 35 inches or more, and 31.5 inches or more for all women.

The campaign also raises awareness of other risk factors for Type 2 diabetes including being over 40 years old, being of Black or South Asian origin and having a family history of the condition. Diabetes UK staff will be offering free diabetes risk assessment tests at some of the roadshows.

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: "Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing us today. It is regrettable that 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes could have avoided it by making simple but important changes to their lifestyle. This is why I would urge everyone who can to visit a Diabetes UK Measure Up Roadshow near them. It could be the best thing you ever do for your health.

"The Measure Up Roadshow will also emphasise that it is important for people who already have diabetes to have a healthy diet that is low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables and to take regular physical activity in order to avoid serious complications like heart disease."

TV presenter Phillip Schofield is backing the charity's awareness campaign. He said: "I am delighted to be supporting Diabetes UK's Measure Up campaign which asks people to measure their waists and find out if they are at risk of Type 2 diabetes. My mother and brother both have diabetes so I know firsthand how it can impact a person and their family's life. As diabetes runs in my own family I ensure that my family and I try to lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

"There are already 2.2 million people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in the UK and another 500,000 who have it and don't know. I would urge people to visit one of Diabetes UK's Roadshows this year to discover if they could be one of those 500,000 and to find out more about diabetes. It is a serious condition and if untreated can lead to complications such as kidney disease, stroke and blindness. The sooner people are diagnosed, the sooner they can start treating their diabetes to help reduce the risk of developing these devastating complications."

Visit www.diabetes.org.uk/MeasureUp to find out if you are at risk of Type 2 diabetes.

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For further media information, please contact Rupi Gohlar or Maria Lam in the Diabetes UK Media Relations Team on 0207 424 1165 or email pressteam@diabetes.org.uk. For urgent out of hours media enquiries, please call 07711 176 028.

Notes to editor:

1 Figures are an estimate from the International Diabetes Federation: http://www.idf.org/node/1130?unode=3B96906B-C026-2FD3-87B73F80BC22682A

2 Diabetes UK is the leading charity for the three million people in the UK with diabetes. It is our 75th Anniversary in 2009 and events to mark this special occasion will be taking place around the country. We aim to spend more than £8 million on research in 2009 as well as campaigning and providing information and support. During our 75th Anniversary year, we hope you will be able to join in and support us so that we can carry on improving the lives of people with diabetes into the future. For more information visit www.diabetes.org.uk.

3 In the UK, there are currently 2.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that up to half a million people have the condition but do not know it.

4 The Diabetes UK Careline (0845 120 2960) offers information and support on any aspect of managing diabetes. The line is a low cost number and opens Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm (operates a translation service). Recorded information on a number of diabetes-related topics is also available on this number 24 hours a day.

5 Supporting our work to fund vital research into the care, treatment and hopefully a cure for diabetes as a Diabetes UK Supporting Member entitles you to a range of benefits including our bi-monthly magazine Balance, reliable information booklets on diabetes, our confidential Diabetes UK Careline, over 400 local Diabetes UK support groups, and access to an exclusive personalised Supporting Members Area on our website.

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