THE number of young people across South Yorkshire with type two diabetes has risen by more than a third since the pandemic.
NHS Digital figures show 4,565 under-40s in the area were registered with type two diabetes as of the end of March.
This has risen by 37 per cent since March 2020, when there were 3,325.
The Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) said the greatest risk factor people can change is obesity, particularly for younger people at risk of the disease.
Professor Ketan Dhatariya, diabetes consultant and chair of the ABCD, said people were less active during the pandemic, and the average weight of people entering the NHS-run Diabetes Prevention Programme has risen by several kilograms.
They added: “The greatest risk factor of people under the age of 40 is undoubtedly obesity. And for younger people, diabetes is a much more aggressive disease.
“The complications that occur as a result of diabetes, such as eye disease, kidney and nerve disease, tend to occur much earlier among younger people, so it’s especially important we can recognise and treat these people.”
As the government aims to ease the burden on the NHS with a more preventative approach, a ban on TV adverts before 9pm and all online paid-for adverts for junk food will come into force from October 2025.
