A new report from UCL and the National Centre for Social Research indicates a three-fold increase in diabetes diagnoses among adults in England between 1994 and 2019.
The report commissioned by NHS Digital analysed data from more than 8200 adults and 2000 children residing in private English households, who participated in the Health Survey for England 2019.
According to the report, the proportion of adults diagnosed with diabetes has increased steadily since 1994, from 3 per cent to 9 per cent among men and from 2 per cent to 6 per cent among women.
Total diabetes (diagnosed+undiagnosed diabetes) is much more common among residents of lower income groups and obese individuals. The proportion of total diabetes in the lowest income group was 16 per cent compared with 7 per cent in the highest income group. Similarly, 9 per cent and 15 per cent of overweight and obese individuals, respectively, had total diabetes compared with 5 per cent of normal-weight individuals.
The report found that adults residing in the most deprived areas had a higher likelihood of obesity. Additionally, the report found that obesity in children was strongly associated with the weight status of their parents.
Professor Jennifer Mindell, co-editor of the report, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has rightly prompted greater focus on obesity reduction, which will also help with the problem of rising diabetes.”
