Diabetes Rates Soar as Obesity is Said to be Key Contributor

    BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, October 11, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A recent study has revealed that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK has increased by more than 145,000 in the last year.

Data taken from GP practices across the UK shows that there are now 2.6million people living with diabetes and a further 5.2million who are registered as obese.

90 per cent of those affected have been diagnosed with the Type 2 strain, which is often linked to a person's lifestyle.

In conjunction with this, The International Diabetes federation (IDF) claim that 80 per cent of the worlds Type 2 diabetes sufferers are overweight or obese.

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK said: "These latest figures are extremely worrying.

"Many, but not all, people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, therefore we need to do all we can to raise awareness of diabetes and help people understand how following a balanced diet and leading an active lifestyle can help reduce their risk of it developing."

The first line of treatment for Type 2 diabetes is weight control and physical activity, however reducing blood pressure can also help in some cases.

Due to the severity of some obesity cases, many people need to take drastic action, which dieting and exercise cannot always deliver. An alternative and increasingly popular option is to undergo bariatric surgery through either a gastric band or bypass.

Latest research undertaken by the American Journal of Medicine found that 78 per-cent of diabetic patients who underwent some form of bariatric surgery, were completed cured of their condition

The Hospital Group, the UK's leading provider of weightloss surgery, has seen the number of people opting for gastric band
or bypass surgery soar in the past few years.

This year, The Hospital Group saw a staggering 73 per cent increase in the number of enquires made about obesity surgery.

Since The Hospital Group was established in 1992, it has grown from a small pharmaceutical company to one of the UK's foremost cosmetic surgery providers. The Group is committed to providing the very highest standards and all procedures are performed by an expert medical team in state-of-the-art facilities that are second to none.

For further information of The Hospital Group's range of surgical procedures, surgery-seekers should visit the website www.thehospitalgroup.org or call our patient care coordinators on 0845 762 6727.

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