Rise in type 2 diabetes in young people in England and Wales

The number of children and young people being treated for type 2 diabetes in England and Wales has gone up from 507 to 715 in four years, new figures show.

More than three-quarters were also obese, according to the NHS data.

Child health experts said the rise was "alarming" and the childhood obesity epidemic was "starting to bite".

Councils said more needed to be done to tackle the obesity crisis in children, particularly among minority ethnic groups, who were most affected.

Type 2 diabetes can lead to a range of health problems such as heart disease, strokes and kidney problems.

The condition occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. It can be linked to obesity.

The figures come from an audit published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health of type 2 diabetes cases in specialist paediatric units.

They show a rise in young people receiving care for the condition between 2013-14 and 2016-17, but they make up a tiny percentage of the total population of under-25s.

Almost half of those treated for type 2 diabetes in 2016-17 were black or Asian, the figures show. They were also more likely to be female and living in a deprived area.

'Extremely worrying'

The Local Government Association, which receives funding for public health from the government, says the true number of young people affected could be higher.

It said it was "extremely worrying" that more young people are developing the condition.

Official data shows that one in five 10 and 11-year-olds is obese, and one in 10 four and five-year-olds is obese in England.

Prof Russell Viner, president of the RCPCH, said: "A rise in Type 2 diabetes of this magnitude is alarming and shows that the childhood obesity epidemic is starting to bite."

Kathryn Kirchner, clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, said one of the most important risk factors for type 2 diabetes was being overweight or obese, which is something that can be influenced.

"These figures are a stark reminder that we have a collective responsibility to push for the actions outlined in the most recent chapter of the childhood obesity plan, including clearer and more consistent food labelling."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "We've invested billions in public health services and have already removed the equivalent of 45 million kilograms of sugar from soft drinks every year.

"Our new childhood obesity plan will now get children exercising more in schools, and reduce their exposure to sugary and fatty foods."

What do you all think of this? What do youthink could be done to fix our rising obesity and diabetes epidemic? 

bbc.com

Well putting such figures into perspective ONS state there are 13.5 million children in Britain in 2016, so is the problem being over stated. Much more children die from various causes and half are preventable. While it can't be ignored it is clear there are more serious issues and the biggest killer of young men these days is suicide. There does seem a political/PC ideology driving these issues rather than the reality of the facts.

@robjmckinney That is an interesting stance to take, do any other members agree with this? 

Yes Josephine I can see where he is coming from .

There are more serious issues to be confronted, but then how do you define more serious?

To those of us with Type II Diabetes it IS SERIOUS, to those who don't have it then it's not so bad. It's only serious if it affects YOU personally. If you go into the mechanics of Diabetes you will see just how SERIOUS it really is. It affects the body in so many ways.

All of the research says that child obesity is the main cause of Type II Diabetes, that I think is not the case, so many people in middle age age getting the disease as well. The condition 'middle age spread' is one of the main causes of the of Type II Diabetes being diagnosed. Several of my friends who are at that time of life when thing's go awry have been diagnosed with the disease.

Many other diseases/ conditions are very serious in there own way not all people are affected the same. 

Try to understand the position of the sufferer of these diseases,. How do they cope? We see thing's from our point of view, That's not how everyone see's it.

Too many boffin's and suits sat in their 'Ivory towers' come up with these reports. Where on earth do they find the data? All that time and money spent on what we already know.  Find out about something we don't know. A cure for the Common Cold, Cancer there is much more research that the effort would be better spent on.

That's MY thinking. Sorry to those who don't agree.