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Over 3.2 million people have diabetes in the UK, costing the NHS £10 billion each year, and both the prevalence and the cost of treatment is expected to increase over the coming years. It is estimated that 90 per cent of adults currently diagnosed have type 2 diabetes. 

According to Diabetes UK, diabetes is a serious, life-long health condition that occurs when the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body can’t use it properly. The hormone insulin – produced by the pancreas – is responsible for controlling the amount of glucose in the blood. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t react to it properly, meaning glucose builds up in the blood. This is called insulin resistance and is caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.

Type 2 diabetes shouldn’t be confused with type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells, meaning no insulin is produced, causing glucose levels to quickly rise in the blood.

The condition is more common in people of African, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian family origin and can occur in all age groups. Although it usually appears in people over the age of 40, it is becoming increasingly common in children, adolescents and young people of all ethnicities.