Warning for 11.5million threatened by diabetes

AS MANY as 11.5million Britons must improve their unhealthy lifestyles or be struck down with diabetes, an “alarming” report warns.

Poor eating habits and little exercise have put one in fi ve at risk of heading to an early grave.

The fi gures, published today, expose the extent to which our increasingly sedentary lives are creating a nationwide health problem.

Public health chiefs say people must change the way they live to arrest the rapid rise in the disease.

Last year it was thought seven million were at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. But an obsession with fatty and convenience foods and poor lifestyles has seen those in danger rocket to more than 11million, a rise of 60 per cent.

This is on top of the four million already suffering both types of the ailment. The crisis is now so severe the NHS will struggle to cope with the extra patients, experts say.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK which released the fi g- ures, said: “That 11.5million people are now at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is a wake- up call for us all to fi nd out our own risk.

“Many cases are preventable and this is why it is so important people know their risk and take action if they are at increased risk.”

Today the Daily Express launches a bid in conjunction with Diabetes UK to get the nation back on its feet. Some 10,000 pedometers are to be given away accompanied by a pocket- sized guide to beat diabetes. The explosion in those in danger has shocked health chiefs.

Guidelines suggest people should do 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week. But three in four of us fail. Medics say exercise lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and boosts mental well- being.

Dr Matthew Ridd, a Bristol GP, said: “These fi gures are truly alarming. The NHS would struggle to cope with such an increase in the number of patients with diabetes.

“Everyone has a part to play in preventing this potential crisis, including food manufacturers and supermarkets. But individuals have to make positive changes.”

Unlike Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease, Type 2 is largely down to lifestyle. Nearly one million do not know they have the condition. Medics say early diagnosis is crucial because if left untreated it could lead to blindness and amputations. Britain’s obesity rate was 2.7 per cent in 1972 but has risen to 25 per cent of adults today.

Experts say diets low in salt, fat and sugar, rich in fruit and vegetables coupled with regular exercise play key roles in halting the onset of diabetes and heart disease.

The scale of the diabetes epidemic already gripping Britain is so great it costs the NHS £ 10billion a year or £ 1million an hour.