NEARLY 3000 Gladstone residents are living with diabetes, a condition requiring constant management, carrying the risk of serious complications including foot amputation, blindness and kidney failure.
The disease is an epidemic in regional Queensland, with the number of people developing the potentially fatal condition continuing to grow dramatically.
Diabetes Queensland CEO Michelle Trute said new research indicated the diabetes epidemic was a clear and present danger in Gladstone.
"Enough is enough. We need concerted action to address the diabetes epidemic that is wrecking lives and driving up health spending in regional communities.
"In the lead up to the Federal election, Diabetes Queensland is calling on both parties to show their commitment to addressing this public health crisis.
"Not only does diabetes affect those who live with the disease, as well as their families and friends, but research has found the disease costs Australian taxpayers around $14.6 billion per annum."
And these costs are expected to rise to $30 billion unless urgent action is taken.
Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government had established a system to improve the health of Australians.
"What we do have and we just announced it recently is a much better system of front of pack labelling of food, so for anyone who is buying it will be much easier to tell how much fat, sugar or salt a product has and other dietary benefits," Ms Plibersek said.
The federal government is giving the food industry two years to put a star rating on packaging voluntarily before they become involved again.
Ms Plibersek has seen this happen in some food items already.
"If they don't get on board then we might need to get the stick out and give them some encouragement."
Ms Trute said the reasons why the diabetes epidemic was gathering pace in regional Queensland was clear.
"The research tells us type 2 diabetes prevalence can be driven by demographic factors such as socioeconomic status and the age of a community, as well as social factors such as access to healthy food options and active transport options," Ms Trute said.
Types of diabetes
Type 1: The pancreas stops making insulin. People with this condition depend on up to four insulin injections every day and must test their blood glucose levels several times a day. About 10-15% of all cases of diabetes are type 1.
Type 2: Most common form of diabetes. Pancreas produces some, but not enough insulin for the body. It results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Published on : Saturday, July 20, 2013
Category : Diabetes
Post URL : http://internal-med.blogspot.com/2013/07/almost-3000-gladstone-residents-live.html
No comment to "Almost 3000 Gladstone residents live with diabetes"
Post a Comment