Professor David Haslam from the National Obesity Forum has called for every child with a weight problem to be considered for a gastric bypass. Speaking to Channel 4 News he explained: “The problem with obesity in children is that it leads to problems such as diabetes…Radical measures are necessary if we are to start saving lives. For some obese children, it is a desperate situation.”
A spokesperson for NICE said: “Our clinical guideline on obesity states that surgical intervention is not generally recommended in children or young people, though it may be considered in exceptional circumstances.”
–Daily Express, 19 February 2013
Number of people with diabetes in the UK passes 3 million
Diabetes UK has announced that 3 million people have now been diagnosed with diabetes – a record high that could place a huge burden on the NHS; this figure has increased by 132 000 since last year. Most of the cases diagnosed are T2D as a result of people living longer and an increase in obesity; a further 850 000 people are thought to have undiagnosed T2D, and up to 7 million are at high risk.
Diabetes UK announced the new figure at the start of a public awareness campaign aiming to reach those at high risk of diabetes. Despite concerns, it is hoped that early identification of those at risk will enable preventive strategies to be implemented.
– BBC News, 4 March 2013
Role of the nation’s “sugar addiction” in obesity and diabetes
The increasing prevalence of diabetes is linked with worsening levels of obesity in the UK. The excessive level of sugar consumption is the driving force behind increasing weight and related ill health.
In today’s fast-paced consumer society, sugar is found in “junk food”, processed food, convenience meals, confectionery and drinks, all readily available from retailers, cafés and vending machines.
The big retailers, it is opined, have a vested interest in feeding the nation’s “sugar addiction” with special offers and marketing ploys. Perhaps, it is argued, if sugary products were taxed more, the sugar-fuelled obesity epidemic could be reduced.
– Daily Mail, 4 March 2013
Healthy life expectancy shorter in UK
Research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, WA, USA, found that the UK ranked 12th out of 19 countries of similar affluence in 2010 in terms of healthy life expectancy at birth. Despite big increases in funding and many reform initiatives, the UK was in exactly the same place as in the league table for 1990.
The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said the UK was a long way behind its global counterparts, and called for action by local health commissioners to tackle the five big killers – cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and liver disease. However, the UK was found to have lower-than-average premature death rates from diabetes.
– The Guardian, 5 March 2013
Standing room only for new study results on T2D risk
Academics from Leicester University have highlighted the dangers of sitting still at a desk for long periods. The researchers examined activity levels and sedentary time in nearly 900 individuals and found that reducing the amount of time sitting by 90 minutes per day played an important role in preventing T2D.
The researchers analysed the amount of time spent sitting at a desk, how frequently individuals got up and their levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. They looked at these effects on blood glucose and cholesterol levels to calculate risk of developing T2D. They found that although people who took more moderate-to-vigorous exercise did have a lower risk of developing diabetes, limiting sitting time was more important.
As groundbreaking as these results may be, it is not news that one should be advised to sit down before hearing.
The Telegraph, 28 February 2013
Amid accumulating evidence of benefits with new diabetes drugs, Vinod Patel asks whether the costs can be justified.
9 Nov 2023