New research reveals a 40% rise in type 2 diabetes diagnoses in younger people, sparking calls for political parties to take action.
There are now almost 168,000 people under 40 years in the UK who live with type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK. This marks a rise of more than 40% – or 47,000 – since 2016-17.
Cases among under 40s have been on the rise in recent years. They are now increasing at a faster rate than among over 40s.
The report comes as the UK marks Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week. This takes place from Monday 20 May to Sunday 26 May this year.
Diabetes UK is now calling for political parties to commit to tackling the issue. It said: ‘Our report should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers that this is an incredibly troubling growing trend.
‘We need bold action to reverse the rising trend in type 2 diabetes, overturn our broken food environment and give every child and young person the best possible chance to grow up in good health.’
Colette Marshall, chief executive of Diabetes UK
‘[It underlines] how serious health conditions linked to obesity, caused by the environment we live in, are becoming more and more prevalent in a younger demographic.’
Figures show there are nearly 4.4 million people in the UK who live with a diabetes diagnosis as of 2022-23.
Around 8% of these cases are type 1 diabetes and 90% are type 2 diabetes. The other types of diabetes make up the remaining 2%.
In addition, there are more than 1.2 million people who may be living with type 2 diabetes and have not yet been diagnosed. This means that more than 5.6 million people in the UK now live with diabetes.
‘Damning indictment’
Colette Marshall is chief executive of Diabetes UK. She said: ‘Diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in people under 40 are rising to alarming levels. It’s a damning indictment of the barriers that many of us face to living a healthy life, where good food is affordable, and exercise isn’t a luxury.
‘There is a generational opportunity to stop this crisis in its tracks. We are calling on all political parties to seize it. We need bold action to reverse the rising trend in type 2 diabetes, overturn our broken food environment and give every child and young person the best possible chance to grow up in good health.
‘The decisions taken now will not only determine the health of young people today, but also the next generation.’
Type 2 diabetes
NHS England recently announced that ‘soup and shake’ diets will be made available across the UK to tackle obesity and reverse type 2 diabetes.
This comes as the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is being expanded. As a result, more than 10,000 more people living with type 2 diabetes or obesity will be offered NHS soup and shake diets.
The programme will now reach 42 local health areas. This means patients across the whole of England will be able to benefit from it. This is up from 21 local health areas last year, meaning the programme will double its capacity.
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