Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
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:
Eating well with diabetes (specifically for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities)
Diabetes UK 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, these videos cover 5 things you need to know when it comes to eating well with diabetes.
They cover:
- how 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
- frequently asked questions linked to these topics
Click on the most relevant link for you – watch and share with family and friends:
Know your risk of diabetes: answer some online questions and find out your risk of diabetes
To find out your risk of type 2 diabetes, 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
NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
The Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) 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.
You can be referred by a healthcare professional like your GP, or you can apply online.
Visit Living Well Taking Control for more details about the local programme.
