The analysis, based on data from the Yorkshire & Humber Public Health Observatory, shows that 4.4 million people in England, Scotland and Wales are projected to have the condition by 2020.
This would be an increase of almost a fifth, and the equivalent of adding almost the combined populations of Liverpool and Newcastle to the current total.
The vast majority of the extra 700,000 cases would be Type 2 diabetes, which can often be prevented by making healthy lifestyle changes and losing weight.
Diabetes UK has warned that the cost of providing healthcare for the extra 700,000 people would put great financial pressure on the NHS, which is already spending 10% of its entire budget on treating the condition.
There would also be a great human cost, as those people developing the condition would be at increased risk of amputation, blindness, kidney failure and stroke, and ultimately of early death.
Source: Diabetes UK
.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024