Rising levels of obesity are blamed for shock rise in diabetes cases
[07 October 2004]
New statistics from Diabetes UK have highlighted a dramatic increase in the
number of Type 2 diabetes cases in the UK. The risk of developing Type 2
diabetes increases by up to ten times in people with a body mass index of more
than 30, and the rise in cases is directly attributable to rapidly rising
numbers of people who are overweight or obese.
An additional 400,000 cases of diabetes have been diagnosed since 1996, a rise
of nearly 30% in eight years, the vast majority of these are Type 2 diabetes.
The total number of people in the UK who suffer from diabetes now stands at 1.8
million, but Diabetes UK estimates that there another million people who haven't
yet been diagnosed.
Walking is a fantastic way of improving fitness and health
Experts are warning that if the current trend continues 1 in 10 Britons will be
diabetic by 2010, and that soaring levels of obesity related diabetic cases will
put an unbearable burden on the NHS and could be serious enough to damage the
economy. Current NHS spending on diabetes stands at £10 million every day.
Type 2 diabetes sufferers used to be almost entirely overweight people of an
older age, but the report highlights a disturbing rise in the number of new
sufferers who are young but also obese. This has led David Haslam, chairman of
the National Obesity Forum and a GP, to claim that we face an 'œobesity
epidemic'.
The UK has the fastest growing levels of obesity in the developed world, with
levels five times higher today than twenty-five years ago, with an even more
dramatic rise in the number of children with a weight problem. While some of the
responsibility for this can be blamed on changing diet, the biggest contributing
factor is lack of exercise in people's daily lives.
The Ramblers' Association has devised a 10-week walking plan,
Take30, to allow
people who may not exercise currently, or who do little exercise, and want a
common sense programme that won't demand masses of time or money, to help them
loose weight and get fitter.
Walking may not seem like sport, or even demanding exercise, but it puts other
sports to shame when it comes to health benefits, and as little as 30 minutes
vigorous walking a day can be enough to be beneficial. Walking is also low
impact, low cost and can be done almost anywhere.
Take30 booklet (pdf)
The Ramblers' Association have also been lobbying Government for the past six
years to introduce their promised National Walking Strategy; so far there has
been little progress. For more information visit our National Walking Strategy
pages.
Walking for Health
Diabetes UK