Diabetes doctor in Norfolk says keeping active and eating healthily vital
Academics predict the number of Diabetes cases will hit 1.3 billion by 2050
A diabetes doctor working in Norfolk has told us we need to keep our weight down and regularly exercise - to lower our chances of getting diabetes.
It's as academics predict the number of cases will "grow aggressively" around the world in the coming years- and hit 1.3 billion by 2050 - this being more than double the 529 million cases in 2021.
It's according to a new paper, published in a new series by The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.
"It's accruing fastest in those parts of the world that can least afford it"
Professor Ketan Dhatariya works at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital and told us why we should be worried by all this:
"It's the most common cause of a non-trauma related lower limb amputation in the entire world. It's estimated that somebody loses a leg due to their diabetes every 20 seconds- somebody in the world. It's the most common cause for going on a dialysis machine, meaning your kidneys stop working.
"It's accruing fastest in those parts of the world that can least afford it. So it's Africa, South America, Caribbean and the Middle East. Yes, we understand that it's increasing all over the world, in fact there was a publication which came out two or three weeks ago which showed that up to 30% of the population of Pakistan has diabetes."
"Keep your weight steady and maintain some regular exercise"
"Keep your weight steady and maintain some regular exercise. The current guidelines is about 30 minutes a day of moderate intensive exercise or 10 minutes- three times a day- of high intensity exercise. The other things that put people at risk is having a strong family history, if your family or siblings have it for example.
"If you have got diabetes, take your tablets every day, have your tests regularly when you are invited to do so by a medical professional. If you can't do any of these tests and are maybe getting side-effects it's really important to tell somebody."