Diabetes: avoid it if you can

Nine out of ten people with diabetes mellitus have the Type 2 version.

Diabetes mellitus is a condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood.  This happens when the body doesn’t make enough of the hormone insulin.  Insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it’s used to produce energy.

Type 2 is usually linked with obesity, as more than 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight when diagnosed.  It happens mostly in people over the age of 40, although among Black and South Asian people that age drops to 25.  Recently more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven.

Prevention

The main avoidable risk factor for Type 2 diabetes is being overweight or obese, especially if you carry excess fat around your stomach.

Exercise

Helps you maintain a healthy weight.  It also reduces your chances of developing ‘insulin-resistance’, which is when your body doesn’t respond as well to the insulin it produces. Just 30 minutes of exercise that leaves you slightly out of breath, five days a week, is enough to reduce your risk of a becoming overweight.  Children need to do at least 60 minutes, five days a week.

Diet

A healthy diet is low in saturated fat, salt, and added sugar. Try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and eat regular meals throughout the day to keep your blood glucose level stable.  Base your meals around carbohydrate foods such as bread, pasta, rice or potatoes.

Alcohol

Contains lots of calories, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight.  Avoid drinking more than the recommended limits of alcohol, which are 2-3 units per day for women and 3-4 units per day for men.

Help and advice

Diabetes UK is the leading charity working for people with diabetes, funding research, campaigning and helping people live with the condition.  Its mission is to improve the lives of people with diabetes and to work towards a future without diabetes.  

For more information about diabetes and support, you can contact Diabetes UK Cymru on 02920 668276 or visit the website www.diabetes.org.uk (external link)