Diabetes Cases Expected to Rise 700,000 by End of the Decade
08 Oct, 2012, 12:12 BST
EDINBURGH, Scotland, October 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
New analysis by the charity Diabetes UK expects the number of people in Britain with diabetes to rise by 700,000 by the end of the decade. This indicates 4.4 million people in the UK alone by 2020.
The majority of new cases are predominantly expected to be Type 2 diabetes. People who develop Type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of amputation, blindness, kidney failure, stroke and ultimately early death. However, the condition can often be prevented by adopting healthier lifestyle choices such as losing weight.
Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said, "The healthcare system is already at breaking point in terms of its ability to provide care for people with diabetes. The result is that many people are developing health complications that could have been avoided, and are dying early as a result.
"Because of this, I have grave fears about the potential impact of an extra 700,000 people with diabetes, which is almost the combined population of Liverpool and Newcastle. We face the very real prospect of the rise in the number of people with the condition combining with NHS budget pressures to create a perfect storm that threatens to bankrupt the NHS.
"If this projected increase becomes reality, it would be a calamity for the healthcare system and a disaster for public health. But the Government and the NHS do not seem to have grasped the scale of the impending crisis and at the moment we seem to be sleepwalking towards it."
The charity wants funding for a public health campaign to raise awareness of risk factors and the seriousness of diabetes and also for there to be more support to people classified as high risk to help them lose weight.
Caron Leckie, nutritionist for Diet Chef, a weight loss delivery programme says "It's important for everyone to try and manage their weight and adopt healthier lifestyles, but particularly so for anyone at risk or with type 2 diabetes. Managing your weight is one of the most effective treatments for type 2 diabetes if you are overweight. Even very moderate weight loss has been shown to be beneficial for our health."
Diet Chef carefully counts the calories of all meals so dieters on the plan will be averaging less than 1,200 calories per day. The daily menu allows you to get delicious home-delivered food, as well as offering a tasty and varied, healthy, balanced plan, encouraging dieters to enjoy losing weight at a healthy pace.
Those on the diet looking to check their own progress can do so using the weight loss calculator and Free BMI calculator as well as sharing their weight loss success stories via the website or Diet Chef social media channels.
Visit the website: http://www.dietchef.co.uk
Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/DietChef
Follow: http://www.twitter.com/dietchef
SOURCE Diet Chef