World Diabetes Day Nov 14th
World Diabetes Day arrives on the 14th November each year – an annual reminder of the increasing statistics, health risks and shocking costs we pay toward the condition both through our personal health and our pocket.
Diabetes statistics (Dec 2015):
- 4 million people in the UK have diabetes – 1 million more have undiagnosed diabetes
- In the UK, 1 person is diagnosed with diabetes every 2 minutes
- The risks of diabetes include heart failure, kidney disease, amputation, blindness and death
- 16 years ago, there were no documented cases of a child within the UK having type 2 diabetes; today there are 500
- Annual UK cost of absenteeism due to diabetes is £8.4 billion
- The total cost for both direct and indirect costs relating to diabetes in the UK is £23.7 billion. By 2035/6, this is predicted to rise to £39.8 billion
- Obesity is the most potent risk factor of type 2 Diabetes. It accounts for 85-90% of the overall risk of developing type 2 Diabetes and underlies the current global spread of the condition
- Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age in the UK
- Globally, diabetes attributes for 14.5% of all global mortality in the 20-79 age group – 47% of deaths occur in those under 60 years of age
- In England and Wales, 65 people die prematurely every day due to diabetes
90% of people with diabetes have the type-2 form, which is often associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Other risk factors for developing the disease include:
- Having a large waist (31.5” for women and 37” for men or 35” for South Asian men)
- Being overweight or obese
- Being of an ethnic background that isn’t White European
- Having a parent or sibling with diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack or stroke
- Depression or anxiety
- Being aged over 49
All of the above factors will increase your risk of developing type-2 diabetes. To reduce your risk, it is vital that you follow the below points. These forms of management apply equally to people with diabetes as to those who do not have the condition. You can aid your diabetes management or reduce your risk of developing the disease through various forms, which include:
- Adequate testing of your blood sugar levels to ensure stability, if necessary
- Dietary management through healthy eating
- Having a thorough educational understanding of diabetic management to ensure your best chances of stabilising and diminishing the condition.
- Being a healthy weight and not carrying too much body fat: being overweight causes added pressure on the body to use insulin effectively (a hormone which controls our blood sugar levels). Specifically, carrying excess fat around the stomach area causes insulin to be less effective.
- Regular physical exercise: Frequent exercise makes insulin work more effectively and also helps with weight maintenance and reduced body fat.
- Studies have shown that combined exercise with weight loss could lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by approximately 58%.
- To discuss which services may be useful to your business please contact anna@thehealthyemployee.co.uk
- The Healthy Employee Online Programme includes a programme specifically designed for those managing diabetes. Click here to find out more.
- 1 million people in the UK have diabetes but are not diagnosed, our Health Assessments will enable us to assess individuals and pick up on their potential risk through the instigation of testing their blood glucose level, blood pressure and cholesterol level.
- For our full range of services, click here
