Fight festive flab to prevent prediabetes

Excessive food and drink over the festive period could have increased your risk of developing under-diagnosed and symptomless condition prediabetes, Diabetes UK Cymru warns today.

Overindulgence in too many calorific treats such as mince pies (around 200 calories each), Christmas cake (approximately 250 calories per slice), and mulled wine (about 250 calories in a glass) can leave us all struggling to buckle our belts in the New Year.

If you're already overweight, have high blood pressure or a family history of Type 2 diabetes then you are at serious risk of developing prediabetes.

The condition, which is also know as Impaired Glucose Regulation (IGR), is symptomless and makes people up to 15 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes[1],2

People with prediabetes have blood glucose (sugar) levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes.

Around 15 per cent of people in Wales - 351,000 people - are estimated to be living with prediabetes[1] and recent research has shown the condition may already be causing long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system3.

It's not all bad news though as, unlike Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes can often be reversed and the risk of going on to develop Type 2 diabetes reduced by 60 per cent simply through losing even just a moderate amount of weight, adopting a healthy, balanced diet and increasing physical activity levels4,5.

Dai Williams, National Director of Diabetes UK Cymru, said: "Christmas is certainly the time for enjoying a few festive treats with friends and family but it's important we compensate for this overindulgence.

"Prediabetes is often a pre-cursor to Type 2 diabetes which can lead to a shortened life expectancy and devastating complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation.

"Make it your New Year's resolution to eat more healthily and take regular physical activity."

Being overweight or obese is one of the strongest risk factors for developing prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes[1],6.

Having a large waist also means you are up to 12 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes7.

At risk waist measurements for prediabetes are 31.5 inches or more for women, 37 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for South Asian men.

As well as having a large waist, people are more likely to develop prediabetes if they are overweight, over the age of 40, of black or South Asian origin, or have a family history of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes.

If a person has a large waist and one or more of these risk factors Diabetes UK Cymru recommends they visit their GP for a simple test.

Recent research8 found most people perceive themselves to be slimmer than they really are.

When 500 people were asked to estimate their waist size, most under-estimated by an average of 2.7 inches.

Men were the most deluded and underestimated their waist size by a significant 3.1 inches (7.9 cm), while the estimates of South Asian women were generally the most accurate.

For more information about prediabetes or diabetes, contact Diabetes UK Cymru on 029 2066 8276 or email wales@diabetes.org.uk . You can also visit the website at www.diabetes.org.uk/wales .