Rise in diabetes Type 2 in young people is a scandal

IN YOUNG people, diabetes Type 2 is an avoidable disease. Children who have a proper diet and take exercise are unlikely to suffer from it but though this is well known, the number of young people being treated for this kind of diabetes has soared by 40 per cent in just four years.

This is evidence, it could be argued, of treatment that is tantamount to child abuse. We have become a nation addicted to junk food, fizzy drinks and takeaways.

A couple of generations ago, a takeaway was a rare treat but now it is the norm. We watch endless cookery programmes but put none of these skills into practice.

Families rely on convenience foods when for a little inconvenience (the bother of preparing a decent meal) parents could save their children a lifetime of obesity and ill health. Yet it is not just poor parenting that is to blame.

There is also a role for schools in promoting healthy eating and exercise. The closure of many school sports grounds in recent years is a national scandal. So much for the legacy of the 2012 Olympics. Cookery classes should also be mandatory.

And the Government, too, has a part to play in changing attitudes.

If this spike in diabetes Type 2 is not addressed then the cost to the NHS in treating patients long-term will be astronomical. And the unnecessary suffering will be a national disgrace.