One in 10 in the UK will have diabetes by 2030

One in 10 people in the UK will have diabetes by 2030, charity predicts.

According to new data, nearly one in 10 people in the UK are expected to develop diabetes by 2030. In England, the majority of adults are now considered to have unhealthy weights and over a quarter of people in England are considered to be officially obese. Type 2 diabetes is far more common in people who are overweight.

Over the last 15 years, the number of diagnoses of diabetes has doubled. Diabetes sufferers are at risk of serious complications which includes amputation and blindness.

Chris Askew is the Chief Executive of Diabetes UK and joined the charity in 2015. He believes the UK is facing a public health emergency.

Askew commented: “Every diagnosis of diabetes is life-changing,”

“The relentlessness of the condition, and the ever-present fear of serious and life-altering complications, is a lifelong reality for millions of families across the UK. It’s a sobering thought then that if we don’t act today, hundreds of thousands more will face the life-changing news that they have type 2 diabetes.

“We’re at the tipping point of a public health emergency and need action today to stop it in its tracks. It doesn’t have to be this way – we know that with the right care and support, diabetes complications can be avoided and cases of type 2 diabetes can be put into remission or prevented altogether.”

He added: “We don’t want our prediction to become a reality. What we need to see is the will, grit and determination from the government to halt this crisis in its tracks, and improve the future health of our nation for generations to come.”