Concern over jump in children treated for type 2 diabetes

The charity has described an increase of children treated in specialist hospital units for type 2 diabetes as “very concerning”, adding that figures could continue to soar amid a spike in childhood obesity and the current cost of living crisis.

According to Diabetes UK, 90 per cent of people living with diabetes in the UK have type 2 diabetes which, unlike type 1, can be prevented through lifestyle interventions including diet, physical activity and sustained weight loss.

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The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s National Paediatric Diabetes Audit finds that 973 children with type 2 diabetes were treated in PDUs in 2020/21 compared with 621 in 2015/16.

Separate figures from NHS Digital find that childhood obesity rates “have seen the largest rise since records began in 2006” with the number of reception-age children diagnosed as obese increasing from one in 10 to one in seven.

Chris Askew, chief executive at Diabetes UK, said: “We are very concerned that this spike in childhood obesity will translate into an even greater increase in children with type 2 diabetes in the coming years, a crisis fuelled by long-standing health inequalities and made worse still by impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.”

The charity’s analysis of childhood diabetes data also reveals that children living in disadvantaged areas are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Four in 10 children and young people living with type 2 diabetes are from the most deprived areas in England and Wales, compared to only one in 19 from the least deprived areas, it states.

Diabetes UK is calling on the government to: 

• urgently reverse its decision to delay restrictions to junk food marketing and unhealthy food promotions 

• go much further to halve childhood obesity by 2030 

• do more to ensure that all children are able to lead healthy lives, regardless of their background or where they live in the country  

Askew added: “The UK government is letting our children down. With soaring numbers of children now living with obesity, and numbers diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on a very concerning climb, we are facing a perfect storm which risks irreversible harm to the health of young people.”