Diabetes education 'patchy at best'

Currently there are over 2.6 million people in the UK suffering from diabetes in the UK, but education on the disease remains patchy, according to one expert.

Jenny Hirst, co-chairman of the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust, which offers support to sufferers, said that the fact that there are so many suffers and such little understanding of the dangers of the condition illustrates that there needs to be more education on it.

Her comments follow the publication of NHS data which revealed that 20 per cent of patients on the country's hospital wards are currently suffering from diabetes.

Ms Hirst described the figures as "very worrying" and said it is clear that many sufferers are not looking after the disease properly and non-suffers are not preventing it.

"In some areas of the country it is excellent; in others it is not so good. Without education, people are left in a position of not knowing how to manage their diabetes properly and not knowing enough," she said.

The expert said that one of the major issues with diabetes education is that people do not know the difference between type 1 and type 2, even though overall awareness is improving slightly.

Currently, 85 per cent of people suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is largely caused by diet and excessive consumption of sugary foods. Ms Hirst said this illustrates how avoidable it could be if people are informed about the dangers.

"Lifestyle has got to be a factor in terms of type 2. More sedentary lifestyles and the rise in obesity has to be a factor," the expert said.

Posted by Stephen Tate

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