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Diabetes increasing as levels of obesity rise
More than one in four adults in Northern Ireland will be obese by 2010 if current trends continue and one
effect of this will be that thousands more people will develop diabetes.
The Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland highlighted this startling fact to health and education
professionals today at a seminar on the prevention and early detection of Type 2 diabetes at the Hilton Hotel
in Templepatrick.
Dr Gaffney, Chief Executive of the Health Promotion Agency, explained:
"Around 40,000 people in Northern Ireland have been diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that another
25,000 are unaware they have developed the condition. Type 2 diabetes is on the increase among younger people in
Northern Ireland and this trend has been linked to increasing levels of obesity here."
Recent evidence indicates that the onset of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by healthy eating, physical
activity and maintaining a healthy weight. Lifestyle choices are a key factor and the seminar explored nutritional
factors, the psychology behind changing behaviour to prevent diabetes and the link to physical inactivity. The day
also provided an analysis of the current rise in diabetes and examined advances in the early detection and treatment of diabetes..
Around 100 professionals, including GPs, practice nurses, health visitors, dietitians, youth workers, teachers,
community workers and voluntary health workers, attended the seminar to avail of the knowledge and experience of
some of the top experts in the field of diabetes here.
Dr Patrick Bell, a consultant at the Royal Victoria
Hospital and an expert in the treatment of diabetes, was speaking at the seminar. He said:
"I see the devastating effects of diabetes every day. The incidence of this disease in Northern Ireland is
already too high. It would be very sad to see a continuing increase in cases of, what is to a large degree, a
preventable disease. We must generate awareness among the public that lifestyle choices today lay down the health
legacy for their future. Seminars like this help to arm the people on the frontline of health promotion and education
with the necessary information to advise members of the public on steps they can take to prevent Type 2 diabetes
developing."
END
Notes to editor:
This Health Promotion Agency seminar was entitled: 'Diabetes - Stopping the epidemic'.
Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin. This type of diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. It is treated by insulin injections and diet, and regular exercise is recommended.
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). It is treated through diet and exercise alone or by diet, exercise and tablets or by diet, exercise and insulin injections.
Insulin is vital for life. It is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body. The main symptoms of untreated diabetes are increased thirst, frequent urination - especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss, genital itching or regular episodes of thrush, and blurred vision.
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