Diabetes Awareness

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a life-long, incurable condition that causes blood sugar levels to become too high. Diabetes is a lot more common than you might think.

There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, which unfortunately are life-long incurable conditions. Type 1 and Type 2 are different conditions, but both very serious however with the right course of treatment, it can be manageable.

How common is Diabetes?

According to Diabetes UK, almost 3.7 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with some form of diabetes and that figure is estimated to increase to around 5 million by 2025. The NHS has stated that around 90% of all adults diagnosed with diabetes in the UK have Type 2, which is now one of the world's most common life-long health conditions.

What can be done to prevent Type 2 Diabetes?

According to Diabetes UK, around 60% of all cases where someone has been at risk of getting Type 2 diabetes has prevented or delayed the condition. This was done just by making a few lifestyle changes such as:

Eating healthier

• There isn't any food you shouldn't eat, it should just be a limited amount.
• Make sure you eat the following food groups every day; fruit and vegetables, starchy foods, dairy, meat, fish, pulses, beans and nuts.
• When it comes to salt, sugar and fat you should keep that to a minimum, you might find it helps to keep track of your intake.
• It is a must that you never miss a meal, so eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.
• If for any reason you need to change your diet, it could be easier to make small changes every week instead of all in one go.

Exercise

• For an adult between the ages of 19 and 64, you should aim to get around 2.5 hours a week of physical exercise.
• Physical exercise can consist of walking, running, climbing stairs, housework, gardening etc. Anything that gets you out of breath is good!
• UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines state that exercise can reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes by up to 40%.

Watch your weight (if needed)

• Losing weight is essential when managing your blood sugar levels as it makes it easier for your body to lower them.
• Eating healthier and being more physically active will, in turn, help you lose weight or keep yourself at a good weight.
• You can check if your weight is what it's supposed to be by using our BMI calculator.
• If you need to lose weight, the NHS advises losing weight slowly, around 0.5 - 1kg a week. 
  
  

To get more information on how you could prevent Type 2, head over to the Diabetes UK website.

Here at General & Medical, we provide a Pre-existing Conditions Cover which can include diabetes. To find out what other conditions we can cover you for, click on the link below.