Cameron Best | July 18th, 2013
DAILY BATTLE: Type 1 diabetes program co-ordinator Kim Henshaw, who also suffers type 1, tests her blood sugar levels with a monitoring device attached to her smartphone. Photo: GLENN FERGUSON
DISTURBING new figures show Geelong residents are among the country's most at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The figures coincide with Diabetes Awareness Week and are based on detailed health information on more than 300,000 Australians over the past six years.
The Alere Wellness Index found Geelong residents had a relative risk ratio of developing type 2 diabetes well above the national average and second only to people in country South Australia.
While country residents in general have a higher risk when compared to metro areas, Geelong residents have an even higher risk than the rest of regional Victorian residents overall.
In the 10 years from 2001 to 2011, the number of cases of diabetes in the greater Geelong region has skyrocketed by 126 per cent to 11,238 people.
Diabetes educator with Barwon Health, Kate McMaster, said lower socioeconomic conditions, ageing communities and people from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or ethnic backgrounds were all factors in Geelong being a diabetes hot spot.
"We certainly know diabetes has become an epidemic and it is increasing," she said.
As many as 280 Australians develop diabetes every day - nearly 100,000 Australians developed diabetes in the past year.
Diabetes Australia chief executive Professor Greg Johnson said the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes was continuing to grow.
"Over 1.5 million Australians have diabetes and an additional 100,000 per annum develop diabetes," he said.
"There are hundreds of thousands of people in Australia with silent type 2 diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed."
In her clinics around the region, Ms McMaster said many people refused to believe they had diabetes.
"They come in and say this is completely unfair and often I have people who ask to be tested again," she said.
Lyn Curtis from Diabetes Australia's Victorian branch said there was a large level of complacency towards the condition.
"There are two million Australians who actually have pre-diabetes currently, so that means they will go on to get type 2 diabetes within the next five years unless they do something to prevent it."
For information, visit diabetesvic.org.au
Won't stop me, says Kim
LIVING with diabetes can be challenging but Ocean Grove's Kim Henshaw doesn't let it hold her back.
Mrs Henshaw who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 26 years ago, works for Diabetes Australia and runs an online community to support people living with the condition.
Every day she tests her blood glucose with a device attached to her smartphone and uses an insulin pump to manage her condition.
"I don't let it get in the way of me enjoying my life and achieving things," she said.
Unlike the more common type 2 diabetes, which is often triggered by lifestyle choices of being inactive or carrying excess weight, type 1 is an autoimmune disease, where the the body is unable to make its own insulin.
"It's not preventable, it can be genetic but also can be very random," Mrs Henshaw said.
"It's a tough disease to have, you are expected to manage it yourself 24 hours a day," she said.
"Everybody does their best, and then to be accused of causing it can be very distressing."
* Kim's blog: 1type1.wordpress.com
Published on : Thursday, July 18, 2013
Category : Diabetes
Post URL : http://internal-med.blogspot.com/2013/07/geelong-residents-among-at-risk-of.html
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