Citation
Blades, M. (2009), "Editorial", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 39 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2009.01739caa.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Editorial
Article Type: Editorial From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 39, Issue 3.
Diabetes is a major problem in the UK and some people are suggesting that the increase in diabetes could be considered to be an epidemic. There are now almost 2.5 million people with a diagnosis of diabetes and a further 500,000 people are considered to suffer from the condition but not yet diagnosed.
The soaring rate of diabetes is mainly due to the massive surge in obesity with 5 million people considered to be obese. Most of the sufferers (90 per cent) suffer from type two diabetes, which is strongly associated with obesity and is managed by diet and exercise resulting in weight loss. This type of diabetes never used to be seen in children and young people but is now due to some youngsters having a large degree of obesity.
People with diabetes are likely to die earlier from coronary heart disease or strokes. Also more than 1,000 each year suffer from kidney failure requiring treatment. So bad are these associated problems it is considered that the life expectancy of the population will fall.
The condition can be helped and managed to a large extent by a change in lifestyle accompanied by comprehensive monitoring of blood glucose levels, weight, BMI and waist circumference, blood pressure, eyes and feet, kidney function and cholesterol levels.
Lifestyle includes up to date information on the diet for people with diabetes, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption.
There are various initiatives on helping people to manage their condition by providing information and one of these is the XPERT programme, which has been devised by a registered dietitian and shown benefits to health. This six-week course has been modified into a four-week course in Tower Hamlets in London and aims to educate people with diabetes there in improving their self-management.
I have been fortunate to be part of the education team and while it is too early to give clinical results, participants were delighted with a greater understanding of the condition, as well as more information on how to manage their diabetes.
Mabel Blades