Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week – Mon 20th May 2024 – Sun 26th May 2024

What is type 2 diabetes?

• Every two minutes someone finds out that they have type 2 diabetes. If current trends persist, 1 in 10 people will develop type 2 diabetes by 2030.
• Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce doesn’t work properly (insulin resistance). It can be a combination of both.
• Diabetes can cause serious long-term health problems. It’s a leading cause of vision loss in people of working age. It’s also responsible for most cases of kidney failure and lower limb amputation (other than accidents). People living with diabetes are also at least twice as likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than those without diabetes.

 

What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?

• Your age. The older you are, the greater your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, those from the ethnic groups outlined below are at risk from a younger age.
• Your family history. You’re two to six times more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother, sister or child living with type 2 diabetes.
• Your ethnicity. You’re more likely to get type 2 diabetes if you’re over 25 and from a South Asian, Black Caribbean or Black African ethnic background.
• Your weight. You are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you live with obesity or overweight.
• Your blood pressure. You’re more at risk if you’ve ever had high blood pressure.

 

What support is available?

• Type 2 diabetes can be a very serious condition but there are lots of things you can do to reduce your risk of developing it such as achieving a healthy weight, getting more physically active and eating a healthy diet.
• Your free local Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme can support you in taking action in all these areas.
• Making changes now can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

 

What is the Healthier You programme?

• Your free local Healthier You programme provides valuable support to help you put your health back in your hands and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• It offers a range of personalised support to help you do just that. From helping you eat well, to tips on achieving a healthy weight and physical activity – the service is here to support you on your journey back to a Healthier You.
• To help you keep focused and motivated on your goals, you’ll have access to trained health coaches, and you’ll be able to meet other people in your area who are also trying to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.
• We know it can be tough to make lifestyle changes but with the right help it is possible to make the simple changes that can significantly reduce your risk.

 

Who can join the Healthier You programme?

• If you’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you may be eligible to join your free local Healthier You programme.
• The first thing you need to do is to find out if you are at risk of developing the condition. You can do this by using the Diabetes UK risk tool – it only takes a few minutes and could be the most important thing you do today.
• You’ll be asked a series of questions to identify if you are at a low, moderate or high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Make sure to have a tape measure handy as you’ll need to measure your waist.
• If you’re at moderate to high risk, the tool will advise you to contact your GP practice for a blood test. If your blood sugar levels show you’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, then you may be eligible for referral to your local Healthier You programme.
• Visit riskscore.diabetes.org.uk or search ‘Know Your Risk’ to complete the Diabetes UK risk tool.
• If you currently have or have a history of Gestational Diabetes, which is high blood sugar during pregnancy, you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme can help reduce your risk. Find out more at www.england.nhs.uk/healthier-you/gdm-self-referral.