Health alert after borough is named diabetes hotspot
LOCAL health leaders have outlined the link between obesity and illness, as new figures name the Rochdale borough as one of the country’s diabetes hotspots.
The condition has long been a problem in the borough but a council health leader said it was still a “growing concern”.
It comes as other statistics reveal the startlingly high number of young children in the area who are overweight - with one quarter of Year 6 pupils found to be obese.
Types 1 diabetes can’t be prevented but there are many ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle to reduce the chances of developing Type 2 - which around 90 per cent of diabetes sufferers have.
New NHS figures show that 8.6 per cent of people over the age of 17 in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale have diabetes (Type 1 and 2) in 2018/19 up from 8.5pc the year before.
That places it in the top 10pc of areas for diabetes in the country, top in Greater Manchester, and means more than one in every 12 adults have the condition.
Elsewhere in the region, Oldham and Bolton had similar levels but just 6.4pc have diabetes in Manchester itself.
Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (HMR CCG) said the issues of diabetes and obesity continue to present challenges for them.
Dr Sonal Sharma, Clinical Lead for Diabetes at HMR CCG said: “Diabetes is a life-long condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. If it is diagnosed early and properly managed, people with diabetes can lead long and healthy lives. But if not it can lead to devastating complications such as amputation, blindness, kidney failure, stroke and in some cases early death.”
Patients with Type 1 are unable to produce any insulin whatsoever, compared to those with Type 2, who can’t produce enough working insulin.
There is an increasing focus on encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles through giving up smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and taking regular exercise in order to keep weight down and reduce the chances of getting Type 2.
Type two is usually associated with lifestyle factors, and obesity in particular, which statistics from the Child Measurement Programme show is a big worry in Rochdale.
Children in Rochdale are some of the fattest in the country - with 38.2pc of 10and 11-year-olds now overweight or obese.
Dr Sharma sees Type 2 diabetes as one of the biggest healthcare challenges of our time and being overweight puts you at high risk.
New figures from the Child Measurement Programme have revealed that 1,129 Year 6 pupils in the borough were classed as clinically overweight or obese this year - just under two in every five.
That’s one of the highest levels in the country, and compares to a rate of around one in three Year 6 pupils across England.
Diabetes UK estimate that by 2030 the number of people living with a diabetes diagnosis will rise from 3.8 million to 5.5 million partly due to the high obesity rates.
While 13pc of Year 6 pupils in Rochdale are overweight, some 25pc are obese.
The figure includes 160 kids (5pc of all Year 6 pupils) who are severely obese, meaning they have a BMI of 40 or more. That would be the equivalent of a 4ft 8in boy - the average height for a 10 year old - weighing in at nearly 13 stone.
Meanwhile, just under a quarter of all Reception children are also overweight or obese, with 13pc overweight and 11pc obese.
Around 3pc of all fourand five-year-olds in the area are severely obese.
The British Medical Association warns that diabetes is not the only serious health effect that can stem from childhood obesity, including respiratory problems, wider psychological issues and an increased risk of life-threatening illnesses into adulthood.
The rates of childhood obesity are equally as high in other parts of Greater Manchester, but the region as a whole has a much higher prevalence than the rest of the country.
Other groups at high risk of diabetes include people from South Asian, African Caribbean or Black African descent, men over 40, and those with a family history of it.
Diabetes UK say that three in five cases of Type 2 diabetes could be delayed or prevented altogether with the right support.
Dr Sharma added: “The good news is for many people Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by making small lifestyle changes including eating a healthy, balanced diet; maintaining a healthy weight; and taking regular exercise.”
Obesity prevalence is strongly linked to deprivation, with the rate of obesity in children living in the poorest areas more than double that of those living in the least deprived.
Just last month, the Observer reported once again on an investigation which found Rochdale to be one of the most deprived places in England.
Andrea Fallon, director of health and wellbeing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Diabetes is a growing concern in the borough and effective prevention is essential for tackling it because too many people do not know that they have the disease. Here in Rochdale we have been implementing a range of successful programmes that have enabled us to diagnose more people with the disease, these include the National Diabetes Prevention Programme, and the NHS Health Checks Programme. Both of these are enabling us to find and treat people much earlier than before and I urge anyone who is invited for their health check to attend.”
As part of the National Diabetes Prevention Programme GPs can refer patients at risk to an intensive programme where they can get personalised help to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The NHS Health Check for people aged 40-74 years can prevent patients from developing the condition and detect those living with undiagnosed diabetes.
Early signs of diabetes are passing urine more often than usual, especially at night; increased thirst; extreme tiredness; unexplained weight loss; genital itching and frequent thrush; slow healing of cuts; and blurred vision.