Christmas over eating could put thousands at diabetes risk

Eating too much food and drink at Christmas this year could seriously increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, causing the diabetes charity Diabetes UK to issue a warning.
Unfortunately, a culture of festive season over eating means calorie consumption soars around Christmas. Traditional delights such as mulled wine, Christmas cake and brandy butter are all packed with calories.
Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, Douglas Smallwood, was reported as commenting: “The Type 2 diabetes epidemic is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today. Watching our waistlines at this time of year is vital as we all need to do our best to reduce our chances of developing this often preventable condition. It is important to remember that around 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight at diagnosis. There are around half a million people in the UK unaware they have Type 2 diabetes. The condition can be undiagnosed for up to 12 years and 50 per cent of people who have it show signs of complications at diagnosis. The sooner Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed and becomes well managed, the better your long-term health is protected and the lower your risk of developing devastating complications.”