Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1.
The health complications can be serious and life-changing, and include loss of sight, loss of limbs, increased risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Did you know? 13.6 million people are now at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK and 850,000 people are currently living with type 2 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed.
Who is at risk?
- Black and South Asian people are at higher risk from the age of 25, compared with those from a white background for whom risk increases after the age of 40.
- You are at higher risk if you have a parent, brother, sister or child with diabetes.
- You are at higher risk if you have high blood pressure.
- You are at higher risk if you are overweight.
How can you prevent it?
- 30 minutes of exercise a day (1 hour is even better).
- Keeping a well-balanced diet – avoid too much salt, sugar and saturated fat.
- Eating well.
The best way to achieve these things is to set realistic goals and take every day as it comes. This will help you build blocks towards a healthier future.
Diabetes UK offer a range of resources to help you prevent type 2 diabetes – this includes eating well, moving more and managing your weight.
There are a few tools or programmes to support you:
Take control of your health today by registering for The Healthier You: NHS National Diabetes Prevention Programme with Living Well Taking Control. It helps you make simple changes to your diet, your physical activity levels and your weight management, with the aim of significantly reducing or removing your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
If your HbA1c falls between 42-47mmol, all you need is your NHS number and to be registered with a GP from the Black Country (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall or Wolverhampton) to sign up. You can be referred by a healthcare professional like your GP, or you can apply online.
DiabetesUK have launched phase 3 of their culturally tailored videos for people living with or affected by diabetes in the south Asian community.
Presented by GPs, in Punjabi, Urdu, Sylheti as well as English, this time we focus on five things you need to know when it comes to eating well with diabetes.
We cover:
Simple swaps make a big difference, focusing on the right ingredients, keeping an eye on portion size, speaking to your healthcare team before fasting and making the choice to move more, as well as some frequently asked questions linked to these topics.
See below the tailored videos, please click the most relevant link for you, and watch and share with family and friends:
You’ll need an accurate measurement of your height, weight and waist.
Find out your risk of type 2 diabetes by visiting the Risk Score Diabetes website
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy when the body cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. It can be managed through lifestyle factors such as adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and monitoring blood sugar levels. Having GDM increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
If you've experienced gestational diabetes in the past, take a proactive step towards a healthier lifestyle by self-refering to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. The programme covers a range of information including nutrition, physical activity, stress management and weight management. The aim is to make long-term changes to your lifestyle to reduce risk of repeated gestational diabetes, or lifelong type 2 diabetes in the future. There are options to take part remotely, digitally, or in face-to-face sessions. Find out more about gestational diabetes and how to self refer onto the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.
