UK charity Diabetes UK have warned that 1 in 10 people could have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes by the end of the decade.
The charity estimates that there could be eighty-seven-thousand hospital admissions from diabetes in England by 2030 if something is not done to stop it before it escalates.
Chris Askew, chief executive at Diabetes UK says, "We’re at the tipping point of a public health emergency and need action today to stop it in its tracks.”
There are currently over 4 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes, with a potential further 850,000 more undiagnosed. Type 2 diabetes is the most common, accounting for ninety percent of cases according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and is most generally caused by factors such as diet and age.
Public Health England found that sixty-two percent of adults in the UK are either overweight or obese. The strong correlation between a high BMI and someone being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes proves that lifestyle is an important factor which should be monitored in order to combat the growing issue.
The NHS Diabetes prevention scheme already in place, aims to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle by teaching positive relationships with food and exercise.
Diabetes UK are asking that more people are enrolled onto the course and that those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are put into remission using methods such as ‘tailored weight-loss plans’ and gastric band surgery in more extreme cases.
Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England said: “Diabetes can have a marked effect on people’s lives, with higher risks of heart attacks, strokes, limb loss, many of the common forms of cancer, and more severe outcomes with Covid-19'.
In 2010 it was estimated that treatment for those with type 2 diabetes cost the NHS £8.8 billion in direct patient care and a further £13 billion in indirect costs. NICE estimate that lifestyle intervention methods would cost £170 million over 5 years, something they hope will take the lead in tackling the crisis.
