Type 2 diabetes was once thought to be a disease associated with aging. The most common chronic metabolic disease In older people in the UK, the incidence of diabetes rises dramatically after the age of 45. High prevalence I have type 2 diabetes and grew up watching my grandparents and older relatives develop it one after the other. India isDiabetes Capital of the World” accounts for 17% of the total number of diabetes patients worldwide.
However, recent data in the UK shows a major change in the profile of people developing diabetes, with younger people now suffering from the condition. The number of people under 40 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased by 39% in the past six years, particularly in deprived areas and those from black and South Asian backgrounds. By 2022, Diabetes UK How many children in England and Wales are being treated for type 2 diabetes? More than 50% increase Over the past five years.
The reasons for this increase are no mystery to experts: it's closely linked to obesity, particularly the adipose tissue around the visceral and hip areas. A diabetologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh told me: “It's very rare to see someone with a normal BMI. [body mass index – a crude metric of someone’s weight classification] “With the exception of South Asians, who have a very strong genetic predisposition, few people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in their 30s,” she said, adding that type 2 diabetes in younger people is strongly associated with being overweight or obese.81% of children with type 2 diabetes Many people live with obesity, but sometimes unexplained abnormalities or genetic factors are involved. Studies investigating the relationship between BMI and diabetes are Over 1 million people The study found that a BMI of 30 or above was associated with a higher risk of diabetes for white people, 28 or above for black people, 24 or above for South Asian people, and 21 or above for Bangladeshi people.
What exactly is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps turn food into energy. When you have diabetes, your fat, liver, and muscle cells stop responding to insulin, which stops glucose from being taken up by these cells and stored as energy. Glucose remains in circulation with nowhere to go, resulting in high blood sugar levels and problems such as fatigue, numbness in the legs, joint pain, increased thirst, frequent urination, impaired vision, and a weakened immune response. If diabetes is not treated, it can damage blood vessels and kidneys, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and even blindness. Cellular Mechanisms Underlying the Obesity-Diabetes Link ComplexSimply put, adipose tissue releases substances (fatty acids, hormones, cytokines, etc.) that are involved in the development of insulin resistance.
Like many health issues, the real solution to rising rates of diabetes among young people is more political than medical. Reducing overweight and obesity rates, especially among children, is an ongoing challenge for most high-income countries and an emerging challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Symptom recognition and early screening to identify prediabetes are important, but education has known limits in public health. Simply telling people about the risks of obesity is not effective at a population level, the U.S. Department of Health says. According to research World Cancer Research Fund.
The key issue here is inequality.The real solution is to make healthy eating and exercise more accessible, affordable and available. With the cost of living rising in the UK, increasing prices of fruit and vegetables, healthy meat and dairy products, and leisure and sports centres closing, it is not surprising that the proportion of overweight and obese people is increasing in the UK. It has increased This trend is seen across almost all age groups in the UK, and is highest in the most deprived areas.
Once again, the UK government has made clear that it is making the wrong economic decisions when formulating health policy. The government should be investing in public health and prevention, including anti-obesity strategies (such as banning multi-buy discounts, TV advertising of junk food before 9pm, and subsidising nutritious foods) and healthy environments, especially for those in deprived areas. One clear focus is school lunches, where ultra-processed foods make up the majority of the diet. 72.6% and 77.8% Primary and secondary school meals cost $12,000 and $2,000 respectively (school meals and packed lunches), resulting in British children consuming the most processed foods in Europe. However, the UK government has slowed down its efforts to tackle overweight and obesity, and the NHS needs to spend more on acute and chronic care for those who develop diabetes and need treatment and support. Unless this situation changes, the UK may one day be known as the country with the highest number of diabetes patients in the world under the age of 40.