Diabetes campaign tackles growing obesity risk factor
More than 47,000 Wiganers could fall victim to undiagnosed diabetic timebombs.
And with ever-growing numbers of the borough population battling obesity, local health chiefs say that the problem looks set to get even worse.
New estimates produced by the national charity Diabetes UK suggest that 47,616 local people have prediabetes: an under-diagnosed condition that puts them up to 15 times more likely to develop full-blown Type 2 diabetes.
That in turn can lead to serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputation and blindness.
It is one of the largest numbers in the North West and although it should be remembered that the area covered by NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan has a bigger population than most, it is already widely recognised as an obesity and diabetes hotspot in the region.
People with prediabetes, also known as Impaired Glucose Regulation (IGR)4, have blood glucose (sugar) levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. Recent research has shown prediabetes may already be causing long-term damage to the body,
especially the heart and circulatory system.
Many people with prediabetes are overweight or obese and 90 per cent will either have a family history of prediabetes or have high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Crucially, prediabetes can often be reversed and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes reduced by 60 per cent simply through losing even just a moderate amount of weight, adopting a healthy, balanced diet and increasing physical activity levels.
Julie Hotchkiss, Consultant in Public Health at NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan, said: "Diabetes is increasingly prevalent in the population of our borough, and I'm sure the Diabetes UK estimates are just about right.
"This is related to the growing trend of obesity, particularly excess body fat around the waist. As part of our programmes aiming to prevent diabetes developing, we started the Lose Weight, Feel Great service in January of this year.
"People are encouraged to ring 01942 496496 to talk about the range of options available to help them manage their weight. We have also been calling people aged between 50 and 74 years to attend their local doctor's surgery for a Find and Treat health check, which includes a blood sugar check.
"So far we have already identified over 250 with established diabetes through this programme, and more than a thousand who have some 'risk factors' which can then be tackled to help reduce their chances of developing diabetes.
"I would urge everyone who receives an invitation to come for a Find and Treat health check to be sure they go and get checked out."
Diabetes UK recently launched its Get Serious campaign, which aims to get as many people as possible to join Diabetes UK in the fight against diabetes, one of the UK's biggest health challenges. The charity is asking people to sign up to the campaign and show their support.
Regional Manager for Diabetes UK North West, Helen Pattie, said: "It's staggering that an estimated one million people in the North West have prediabetes, which is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.
"It's time for all of us to get serious about our health if we want to have any chance of defusing the ticking timebomb of Type 2 diabetes."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wigan
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South
