Analysis: Nine out of ten diabetes cases are of the Type 2 variety, which is closely linked to obesity. Alex Matthews-King says more can be done to prevent suffering A record 4.7m UK adults are living with diabetes in the UK. Around a fifth of these are undiagnosed and are therefore unknowingly at increased risk of nerve damage, amputations and other complications arising from the disease. The statistics from Diabetes UK show the trend of annual increases is continuing more or less unabated; the latest rise is around 7 per cent up on last year’s figure. There are set to be 5.5m cases by the end of the next decade according to Diabetes UK, despite efforts to bring the number down. Given that diabetes cases have doubled in just 20 years, and that the cost of treating the disease and its complications accounts for as much as 10 per cent of all NHS spending, it’s hard to understand why more isn’t being done. Nine out of ten diabetes cases are Type 2, which is closely linked to obesity – as well as to age and ethnicity. Around three-fifths of Type 2 cases are thought to be preventable. The UK has been getting fatter for many years, and the unhealthy habits of the baby boomer generation's mid-life excesses are now causing significant strain to the next generation and the health service. A decade of austerity measures that have stripped funding from locally-run weight loss schemes, exercise programmes and even outdoor facilities such as municipal parks have made matters worse. Renewed efforts to combat the obesity crisis before it sinks the health service are now being made, although they’re likely to take another decade to bear significant fruit. A sugar tax on unhealthy drinks which came into force last year has not raised the money the Treasury was estimating, but that is largely because of the widespread re-formulation of products (to reduce sugar content). Flagship brands like Coca-Cola original have become more expensive, putting some customers off. Overall then, the policy has been a modest success. Still, there have been calls to extend the tax to other unhealthy foods. NHS England last year announced that GPs would be able to prescribe an 800-calorie a day liquid diet for obese patients most at risk of Type 2 diabetes. While this sounds like the worst examples of fad dieting, successive trials have shown the “shake and soup” programmes, in conjunction with diet support, help people lose more weight in a sustainable way. Another 200,000 people a year at risk of developing the condition will be prioritised for support with lifestyle change by the Diabetes Prevention Programme. However, charities say that ministers continue to drag their feet on key interventions like banning junk food advertising before the water shed and ending unhealthy food promotions. Others call for more radical action: the National Obesity Forum said Type 2 diabetes education should be delivered in schools. Chair Tam Fry said: “Telling [pupils] that they could lose a leg or go blind from the disease if they fail to look after their health might seem extreme but it’s the truth.” As the Diabetes UK data confirms the condition is more prevalent in areas with higher deprivation, tackling the rampant inequalities that have taken root at the heart of British society would be an even more dramatic initiative still. Source
