Rates of type 2 diabetes are rising faster in young people than in those over 40, according to "alarming" and "troubling" data revealed by Diabetes UK.
This rise of 23% in five years was accelerated by the growing number of obese or overweight children and young adults in the UK, which has the third highest obesity rate in Europe. Often linked with being overweight and inactive, a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at a young age can lead to more complications like kidney and heart disease, according to Diabetes UK.
The charity's chief executive, Chris Askew, said the "analysis confirms an incredibly troubling growing trend, underlining how serious health conditions related to obesity are becoming more and more prevalent in a younger demographic". But two-thirds of adults under 40 don't know the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, or how to find out their risk of developing the condition.
