Men aged over 40 are targeted in drive to reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes

AN online campaign encouraging men aged 40 and over who are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to sign up for support has been launched by the NHS in England.

The campaign, which will use Facebook to reach millions of men, offers support with lifestyle changes and developing healthier habits to help avoid the condition.

Targeted adverts will highlight the increased risk among white men of this age and encourage them to sign up to the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.

The NHS says the programme has already helped hundreds of thousands of people and there are now 200,000 places available every year thanks to the NHS Long Term Plan.

The health service will post a series of sponsored Facebook ads over the next three weeks that will let users click through to a quiz by Diabetes UK.

If participants’ score is moderate or high they can refer themselves to a local service for support remotely or online, without having to go through a healthcare professional.

Access to the Healthier You programme has been fast-tracked after research found people are twice as likely to die from Covid-19 if they have Type 2 diabetes.

The new drive follows a successful national campaign last August that targeted Black and South Asian communities, who are more at risk of Type 2 diabetes from the age of 25.

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity for the NHS in England, said: “We already knew that for men over 40 in particular, the risk of Type 2 diabetes steadily increases with age so it is crucial people in this group check their risk and get the right support.

“As we start to see signs of normal life returning, there has never been a better time to start living a healthier lifestyle and we want to support even more people to do this.”