The results of a new Ipsos MORI survey have revealed that up to 63% of people are unaware that having a large waist size increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Despite a wealth of evidence supporting the relationship between waist circumference and diabetes incidence, the study found that only 37% of people were aware of this association. A larger proportion of people (72%), however, knew that being inactive or overweight increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. According to Diabetes UK, a large waist is defined as 31.5 inches and above for women and 35 inches and above in men.
Knowledge about other risk factors for the condition was worryingly low, with only 10% of people realising that having a black or South Asian ethinic background heightens the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Just 45% were aware that having a relative with type 1 or 2 diabetes could also increase their risk of diabetes.
Diabetes UK and Bupa have raised concerns that people with large waists, which are also in the normal weight and BMI range, may wrongly believe that they are not at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Both organisations have warned that people at high risk of diabetes can only take to action to prevent the condition if they are made aware of the risk factors associated with it. As a part of a campaign to increase awareness, Diabetes UK and Bupa have released an online risk assessment tool that enables people to calculate their diabetes risk score.
Diabetes UK and Bupa have released this tool in conjunction with their Healthy Lifestyle Roadshows, which will travel across the UK and provide people with healthy lifestyle information. In particular, those identified as having a moderate to high-risk will be referred to their GP for further advice.
Paula Franklin, Medical Director, Bupa said: “These findings show just how vital it is to increase awareness of the risks of type 2 diabetes. Unlike some other conditions, people can reduce their risk by making simple lifestyle changes such as eating healthily. However, they need to have an understanding of the risk factors in order to do so. Through the online risk score and Healthy Lifestyle Roadshows, we hope highlight the risks. Together Bupa and Diabetes UK want to encourage people to make healthier lifestyle choices and reduce the number of people who get the condition.”
Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “The fact that awareness of some risk factors for type 2 diabetes is so low is worrying; it is only if people know they are at high risk that they are likely to be motivated to make the lifestyle changes that can help prevent it.
“We are particularly concerned that people might think they do not have anything to worry about just because their body mass index suggests they are in the healthy weight range. But if someone carries their weight around their middle and has close family members with diabetes, they could still be at high risk.
“We hope our roadshows help raise awareness of risk factors, because as a country we need to get much better at preventing type 2 diabetes. If the current rate of increase continues, the number of people with diabetes is expected to rise by 700,000 by the end of the decade, with type 2 diabetes accounting for most of this rise. This would be a public health disaster, as this scale of increase would be unsustainable for the NHS and potentially devastating for those people who develop the condition.”
The diabetes risk assessment tool can be found at: http://www.bupa.co.uk/diabetesriskscore
More information about the roadshows can be viewed at: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_help/Roadshow
