Diabetes is the fifth most common cause of death in the world
Type 2 diabetes is caused by you, you can control whether you develop it or not, all by choosing a particular lifestyle.
Eating well, keep active and maintaining a healthy weight will help you to steer clear of it.
People who develop the Type 2 condition lose the ability to break down glucose into energy, which causes blood-sugar levels to rise.
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar level, or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin that is being produced.
With current data also showing that 60 per cent of the population is overweight or obese, it's becoming drastically more apparent that something needs to be done.
Diabetes is the fifth most common cause of death in the world.
A new paper from the not-for-porfit London-based World Preservation Foundation, details how chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes can be treated with a simple change in diet.
Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop, WPF Executive Director says: "Bill Clinton made the change to a plant-based diet after having stint surgery. He knew about the advantages of plant-based diets, but made the chane for his daighter Chelsea's wedding - he wanted to be alive and healthy for his grandchildren."
Changing your diet to something like this may be a little radical, but small changes will ensure that you can lead a healthy and happy life.
Scientists at Harvard University says that drinking water instead of fizzy drinks could dramatically reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Professor Frank Hu, for the Harvard School of Public Health, says: "There is convincing evidence that regular consumptions of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with increased risk of obesity and diabetes, and emerging evidence that these beverages increase the risk for heart disease.
"To reduce risk of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases, it is important to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and replace them with healthier choices such as water and unsweetened tea or coffee."
The International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk (ICCR), which conducted the research, says more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes every year, with 26 million Brits projected to be obese by 2030.
Do you have undiagnosed diabetes? The main symtoms are:
- Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
- Increased thirst
- Extreme tiredness
- Unexplained weightloss
- Genital itching or regular episodes of thrush
- Slow healing of cuts and wounds
- Blurred vision
The signs and symptoms in Type 2 diabetes are not as obvious when compared with Type 1, as the condition develops slowly over a period of years and may only be picked up in a routine medical check up. However, these symptoms can be quickly relieved once it's being treated and under control.
Go to our home health page and find out your BMI or your nearest doctors to go and get tested.
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Infographic by Lloyds Pharmacy