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In diabetes, the body doesn’t produce or cannot properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starches and other foods into energy. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, and can lead to many health-threatening conditions. The health implications of diabetes are staggering:

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease.

Diabetes is the main cause of new cases of blindness in people aged from 20 to 74 years.

Sixty to seventy per cent of people with diabetes have mild-to-severe forms of diabetic nerve damage, which can lead to loss of lower limbs.

People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to suffer from heart disease and strokes.

The exact cause of this long-term, incurable condition is a mystery. However, genetics and environmental factors – like obesity and lack of cardiovascular exercise – appear to play roles. There are two types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes: sufferers need daily insulin injections to stay alive because their body doesn’t produce this hormone.

Type 2 diabetes: the body makes insulin but is unable to produce enough or use it properly. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90–95 per cent of all diabetes cases. It used to be referred to as ‘late-onset diabetes’, as it was more prevalent in later life. Now, however, with the growing number of overweight and obese people, type 2 diabetes is found even in young children. Doctors have warned that diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions. Overweight people have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes, so keeping your weight under control is vital.