It is rare for diabetes to be so glaringly in the public eye. This is why those of us concerned about the treatment and prevention of the condition, spend so much of our time raising awareness.
In that sense, this year’s World Diabetes Day is remarkable. The landmark on 14th November follows bold reports by the British Medical Association, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Public Health England, a high profile campaign led by Jamie Oliver for a sugar tax, NHS England’s Five Year Forward View, and the launch of a National Diabetes Prevention Programme.
This year, diabetes is a hot topic. People are not only talking about prevention, but also the treatment, education and self-management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. People are starting to see the scale of the challenge we face.
Scale of the Problem
I have stated many times that the greatest long-term threat to the National Health Service comes from preventable conditions such as diabetes and obesity.
The number of diabetics in the UK continues to rise. It has risen by 1.2 million in the last decade to over 3.3 million today, as well as an estimated 700,000 who do not realise they have the condition.
Of immediate concern, is that 35% of adults in England are estimated to have ‘pre-diabetes’, with higher than normal blood glucose levels and a high risk of developing the condition. The UK is also the fattest country in Europe, with 25% of adults obese, compared to 15% in France.
When reviewing these figures, we are now at the tipping point of an epidemic capable of crippling the NHS. At current trends another 700,000 people will be diabetic by the end of the decade.
We also face significant knock on costs and health complications from type 1 and 2 diabetes, with over 120 diabetes-related amputations, ‘hypo’ and ‘hyper’ attacks, retinopathy in the eyes, and other nasty problems should diabetes not be managed or treated properly.
Blue Monument Challenge
So on Saturday, we need to grab this opportunity with both hands. We have reached the peak of a crescendo in diabetes awareness, and that needs to translate into action.
Dozens of MPs have responded to the call of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes to participate in the Blue Monument Challenge. In this challenge, landmarks are lit blue to raise diabetes awareness.
As a result, this year buildings will be blue from London to Glasgow and Pendle to Gateshead, with landmarks including the SSE Hydro, Library of Birmingham and the Shard.
This very visible campaign not only spreads awareness in various constituencies, but engaging with MPs up and down the country adds to a growing cross-party consensus that we need a better way forward in tackling this condition.
Seizing Saturday
So this Saturday, whether you have diabetes or not, I call upon everybody to talk about diabetes, to think about our health, or even just see one of this year’s ‘monuments’.
We can talk until we are blue in the face in Parliament, but if it is people outside who are talking about this condition, we can all change lives, and maybe even save them.