0:00:20 > 0:00:24in our special diabetes programme.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27New figures suggest the health service will struggle to cope
0:00:27 > 0:00:30with what the experts are calling an epidemic.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33We are certainly looking at a crisis in diabetes,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35which does threaten to bankrupt the NHS, if we continue
0:00:35 > 0:00:39with these current trends.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Also tonight, where you're from can affect your risk,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44as this Leicester family knows all too well.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45as this Leicester family knows all too well.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46This is my family.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Here's my father, he is diabetic.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53We are really worried, actually, because maybe I will have it
0:00:53 > 0:00:54as well, or my sister.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56And how tapping into a virtual network is helping
0:00:56 > 0:00:59patients feel better.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01The stories that matter, closer to home.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06I'm Lukwesa Burak and this is Inside Out for the East Midlands.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Well, first tonight, nearly 4.5 million people in the UK
0:01:18 > 0:01:21now have diabetes.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Most of them have type 2 diabetes, which is linked to lifestyle,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28and so is largely preventable.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Diabetic care already costs the NHS ?10 billion a year
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and that is nearly 10% of its entire budget.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Well, new figures seen by the BBC show that those costs are likely
0:01:39 > 0:01:48to spiral before the city continues to rise.
0:01:50 > 0:01:50-- if obsesity continues.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52The BBC's health correspondent Dominic Hughes reports.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54And a warning that this report
0:01:54 > 0:01:56does contain images you might find disturbing.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02Today, I'd like to invite you to a shoe shop with a difference.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10So what we've got here is 140 shoes and they represent 140 amputations
0:02:10 > 0:02:13that take place in England every week due to complications
0:02:13 > 0:02:16associated with diabetes.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18So people losing toes or lower limbs.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Cor, quite shocking.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28That's a lot of limbs are being lost.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33We set up this shoe shop to show just how serious
0:02:33 > 0:02:37type 2 diabetes can be.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41It's really sad.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Has that sort of shocked you?
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Yeah, quite a lot, yeah.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Most diabetics have type 2.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Where you come from, and your family history,
0:02:55 > 0:02:56can increase your risk, but doctors say most
0:02:56 > 0:03:00of it is down to obesity.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Now, new data, given exclusively to the BBC by Public Health England,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07estimates there will be an extra quarter of a million people
0:03:07 > 0:03:13with type 2 diabetes by 2035, if we continue to get fatter.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It's not just amputations.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Diabetics are at risk of kidney failure, blindness,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22even premature death.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26And the NHS is spending ?10 billion a year on diabetic care.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30That's nearly 10% of its entire budget.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33As things stand, we are certainly looking at a crisis in diabetes,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35which does threaten to bankrupt the NHS, if we continue
0:03:35 > 0:03:39with these current trends.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45One of our shoes belongs to Steven Woodman.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50We caught up with him as he arrived at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for
0:03:50 > 0:03:52an appointment with his podiatrist.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57How's things? Not too bad, not too bad.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Like 90% of diabetics, Steven has the type 2 version,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04which is linked to lifestyle and so largely preventable.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09But diagnosed as a young man, he ignored his GP's advice.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I was in denial, I guess, I never took it that seriously,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and I carried on leading the lifestyle that I was.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I was a lot younger, this was over 25 years ago.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I was out going to the pub and doing all the things that
0:04:23 > 0:04:26people of my age did and, of course, now I know do different.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32Not too bad. Well, I was in hospital last week.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Like many diabetics, Steven developed an ulcer on his toe.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40Look away now if you're squeamish.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The ulcer wouldn't heal and, in the end, he had to have
0:04:43 > 0:04:44this toe amputated.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45He's lost two more since then.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49My surgeon did say to me, when he was taking my third toe off,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53um, "It's only a matter of time before you lose that one."
0:04:53 > 0:04:56He said it was inevitable that will go the same way.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I've become an old man very, very quickly and, inside,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I don't feel old.
0:05:02 > 0:05:09I'll go on for ever, I thought.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Patients with type 2 diabetes are not just losing their toes.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Some have had to have a foot amputated or even a lower leg.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20It's life-changing and very expensive.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22It's approximately ?20,000 for the first six months
0:05:22 > 0:05:27following a patient who requires an amputation.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31There's the limb fitting.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And even a basic prosthesis costs thousands of pounds.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37All of those aspects mean that it's a very expensive
0:05:37 > 0:05:44process for the state.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Nick Nex is the health economist who worked out the current
0:05:48 > 0:05:52cost of diabetes care - that ?10 billion figure.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Most of that is spent on complications.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Foot ulcers and amputations cost nearly ?1 billion a year.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Kidney failure isn't far behind.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Then there is sight loss and nerve damage.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11But the biggest cost of all is for heart
0:06:11 > 0:06:15attacks and strokes.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18With both obesity and type 2 diabetes affecting more and more
0:06:18 > 0:06:20of us, costs for diabetic care are expected to increase
0:06:20 > 0:06:25to ?17 billion by 2035.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31There is a fixed amount of money for the NHS, so clearly,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35if one disease area like diabetes is taking up a more considerable
0:06:35 > 0:06:37amount of that cost, then there is less money to spend
0:06:37 > 0:06:41on other disease areas, like cancer, so it's really important
0:06:41 > 0:06:45that the policymakers and local commissioners of care think
0:06:45 > 0:06:48about the way in which those costs can be mitigated over the next
0:06:48 > 0:06:51few years, because clearly, that isn't going to be
0:06:51 > 0:06:53enough money to go around.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I'm just taking all the measures we need to do
0:06:55 > 0:06:58to make up the footwear.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Back at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Steven is getting his feet measured.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Losing three toes means he has to have specially-made shoes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08They don't come cheap.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Just out of interest, how much is a pair of boots
0:07:11 > 0:07:13like that going to cost?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Um, because the boots will be custom-made to fit your feet,
0:07:16 > 0:07:17they will cost approximately ?400- ?500.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Whoa! Yeah.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Really?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25We are facing a diabetic epidemic and we really need to try and find
0:07:25 > 0:07:28ways of preventing those patients from reaching surgeons,
0:07:28 > 0:07:37because the cost to the patient and to the NHS is skyrocketing.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44A new problem is expected to put even more
0:07:44 > 0:07:48financial pressure on the NHS.
0:07:48 > 0:07:5016-year-old Aisha is one of a small but growing number of children
0:07:50 > 0:07:56with type 2 diabetes.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I developed type 2 diabetes by having a sweet tooth, mostly.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I used to try out every new sweet and I used to drink quite
0:08:02 > 0:08:04a lot of sugary drinks.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07When I was taken to the hospital, when the doctor told me
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it hit me then,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13cos I started crying and it was shock.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19Aisha now has to rely on medicine to control her condition,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23but she's managed to lose a stone in weight and those fizzy drinks
0:08:23 > 0:08:32are a thing of the past.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35It's been really hard at times, but you can only have helped once
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and you can't really buy your health, you have to keep...
0:08:38 > 0:08:42You have to keep changing your diet plan to whatever it is and also
0:08:42 > 0:08:47keeping fit and healthy.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49New research shows the number of children like Aisha with type 2
0:08:49 > 0:08:54diabetes has nearly doubled in the last ten years
0:08:54 > 0:08:59and they're likely to develop complications much earlier.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02People who are getting type 2 diabetes when they are 15
0:09:02 > 0:09:06or 16 are going to have significant problems,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10or likely to have significant problems, maybe at the age of 35-36
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and that's really much younger than you'd expect, because these
0:09:14 > 0:09:16are things like renal failure and heart attacks and strokes
0:09:16 > 0:09:21and it's going to have a huge impact for them.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Ultimately, tackling the rise in type 2 diabetes will depend
0:09:24 > 0:09:29on reducing our waistlines.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I believe we're facing a crisis and, in calling this a crisis,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36we really need concerted action right across society for us to fund
0:09:36 > 0:09:38more research, to provide the best possible care and treatment
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and crucially to prevent so many cases of type 2
0:09:41 > 0:09:44diabetes in the future.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47We need to stem the tide, otherwise, yeah,
0:09:47 > 0:09:52we could see crisis, um...
0:09:52 > 0:09:54And there are issues of sustainability for the NHS
0:09:54 > 0:09:57if we do nothing differently.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Let's go together.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Steven's diabetes has stabilised, but it's too late to save his job.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Unsteady on his feet after losing his toes,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14he's been told by his employer he's no longer fit for work.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Given everything you've been through, Steve,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22what would your advice be to other people who are being diagnosed now
0:10:22 > 0:10:23with type 2 diabetes?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26For god sake, take it seriously!
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Don't make the mistake I did.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31It's the biggest regret I've ever made, you know, in my entire life.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It's a dreadful, nasty disease.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35It takes no prisoners.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40It's a terrible thing.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Well, here in Leicester, where diabetes often runs
0:10:45 > 0:10:47within the family, the city actually has the third worst
0:10:47 > 0:10:51rate in the country.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53And so, diabetes charities are now taking their message
0:10:53 > 0:10:54to the heart of the community.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59Sarah Sturdey has the report.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Hi, Mum.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Hi. Hi.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07There is some okra. Yeah.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09At home in Leicester, the Akramuls monitor the family shop,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13especially Tabassuma.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Cake from Aldi. It's not for you.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17It's not good. Too much sugar.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21This is for us.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25This is my dad and this is my mum.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28My dad has been diagnosed with diabetes type 2 in 2007,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32and my mum, maybe she is at risk to have it, because her mum has it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35No wonder Tabassuma's worried.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Her dad's diagnosis nine years ago wasn't a surprise.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Type 2 diabetes runs in the family.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44This is my family.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Here's my father, he's 82, he is diabetic.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Here's my brother, he has also diabetes.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55My sister, she has diabetes.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And my wife's mum, she has also diabetes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02We are really worried, actually, because maybe
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I will have it as well, or my sister, my brother,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07they can have it as well.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Hoque Akramul, who was born in Bangladesh, is one of more
0:12:10 > 0:12:14than 20,000 people in Leicester who are diagnosed every year.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19The city has one of the highest rates in the country.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The Leicester Diabetes Centre is internationally
0:12:29 > 0:12:33renowned for its research.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Tabassuma wants to know why people originally from South Asia
0:12:35 > 0:12:39are more at risk.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48OK, Tabassuma, we devised this simple risk score,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and what it will do is identify people who are at high risk
0:12:51 > 0:12:53without them having a blood test.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And then, if they are high risk on the risk score,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58then they would go on to have a blood test.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Professor Kamlesh Khunti, a Leicester GP, co-founded
0:13:00 > 0:13:04the centre, which devised the online risk assessment.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08More than 1 million people have taken the test.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12No-one exactly knows the exact reasons for this increased risk,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15but there does seem to be interplay between the genetic
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and the environmental factors.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21And they are very simple questions regarding age,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24sex and, the most important one that we've devised and it's important
0:13:24 > 0:13:27for the UK communities, because it is a multiethnic
0:13:27 > 0:13:31population, there is a question regarding your ethnic background.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36So, for example, you and I would click South Asian.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Straightaway, they would put us at a much higher risk.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Evolutionary-wise, what happened was we think South Asians
0:13:43 > 0:13:47stored their food more within the abdomen.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50But now, we are in an era where food is abundant,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54there's lots of it, and so this is playing against them now.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57But within South Asians, Bangladeshis have the highest risk.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59It seems like, in my dad's family, it's genetic.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Yes.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03So, South Asians don't tend to exercise as much, food
0:14:03 > 0:14:07is in abundance and South Asians do have a double whammy...
0:14:07 > 0:14:09In fact, they have a triple whammy, because they have the genetics
0:14:09 > 0:14:15against them, they need to do more exercise, which they don't do,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and when they do do exercise, they need to do double the amount
0:14:18 > 0:14:22of exercise to get the same benefits as a white European person.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34It's a PTA fun day in Leicester.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41We've done how to talk with people, how to talk with people
0:14:41 > 0:14:43about diabetes, what is diabetes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46They have to take care about it,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48because otherwise it will create other conditions.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Well, I think it's really important that we help people
0:14:51 > 0:14:55identify what the risks are, so that...
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Tabassuma is helping Khrishna from Diabetes UK to reach
0:14:58 > 0:15:00those people who are most at risk.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04As a De Montfort University student champion, she has been trained to
0:15:04 > 0:15:07get the charity's message across.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09There's an element of genetics, there is an element
0:15:09 > 0:15:11of diet, culture,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13lifestyle.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16A diet that is rich in carbohydrates and in saturated fats
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and also rich in sugars.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20You combine all of that with the
0:15:20 > 0:15:23lifestyle that doesn't require much physical activity,
0:15:23 > 0:15:24you've got a pretty
0:15:24 > 0:15:26toxic combination.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29The number of people diagnosed in the city is
0:15:29 > 0:15:32almost a third more than the national average but there are
0:15:32 > 0:15:36thought to be thousands who don't know they have it.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38There is sugar in there.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Your food and your evercise is so important.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46In this community, it is a laissez faire attitude.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49My uncle's got it, my dad's got it, what's
0:15:49 > 0:15:50the big deal?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54I'll pop a pill and it will control my glucose.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Very rarely do they hear the bad side of this
0:15:57 > 0:16:00condition which is all the complications, the cardiovascular,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03the amputations.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09Cola is the highest and it has nine sugar cubes.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Pure orange juice, four.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16You can do an online test, it is called Know
0:16:16 > 0:16:18your Risk.
0:16:18 > 0:16:24I would advise you as your dad is diabetic and you are Asian.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28It's within our individual control to prevent it so why don't we do
0:16:28 > 0:16:31things to actually prevent it?
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Back home, Tabassuma's dad has had to make big changes
0:16:34 > 0:16:39to manage his diabetes and prevent serious complications.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42You have to change some diet, you have to go
0:16:42 > 0:16:46every day half an hour walking, so it is important thing.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Don't take any sugar.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Now we are going to do a questionnaire.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56But Tabassuma is worried about her mum.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59This is an online simple questionnaire that you can
0:16:59 > 0:17:01find simply at home.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04The nagging has worked and she has agreed to see how likely
0:17:04 > 0:17:14she is to develop diabetes.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19It says that you have a high risk.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Are you happy to do a proper diabetes blood
0:17:21 > 0:17:22test?
0:17:22 > 0:17:24You're happy?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Yes, that's really good.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Across in Melton Mowbray, there is a mobile testing unit in
0:17:30 > 0:17:32town for the day.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35The charity, Silver Star, has two units in
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Leicestershire, one in London and one in India.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42A simple pinprick test will tell her whether she is really
0:17:42 > 0:17:45at risk.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50We're just going to wait now.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Five seconds left.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Borderline.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58It's a test that takes...
0:17:58 > 0:18:02It is 99% accurate and it is showing your
0:18:02 > 0:18:05blood for the last three months.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09This test shows here that it is like prediabetic now
0:18:09 > 0:18:12so I would advise you to take a second test with your
0:18:12 > 0:18:13GP.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17This is your letter where you go to show your GP and say that you
0:18:17 > 0:18:21had a test here with us.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23You are at high risk, you have time because
0:18:23 > 0:18:28you're borderline so you still have time to decrease your risk.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33A few days later, it is the Leicester
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Mela, a great opportunity for Tabassuma and her
0:18:37 > 0:18:39student friends to spread
0:18:39 > 0:18:44the word right next to the food stands.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Meanwhile, her mother has decided it's time to learn more about
0:18:46 > 0:18:53diabetes.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Now it is mum's task.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I will help her.
0:18:59 > 0:19:05I must regularly exercise.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Which doesn't mean just going to the gym, she can do normal
0:19:08 > 0:19:11things at home like hoovering more, gardening, just
0:19:11 > 0:19:15more movement rather than
0:19:15 > 0:19:17just sitting and watching TV.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20It will help dad, he is already diabetic,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25obviously it will help us to lower risk to have it the future.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28While Tabassuma prescribes herself a large dose of
0:19:28 > 0:19:38exercise, her mum she knows she now has to follow suit.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42If you'd like to learn more about the steps being taken to
0:19:42 > 0:19:45tackle diabetes right around the country, why not head to our
0:19:45 > 0:19:48website.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Living with diabetes can be an isolating and it can be a lonely
0:19:56 > 0:19:58experience but now, a virtual community
0:19:58 > 0:20:01based right here in the
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Midlands is aiming to tackle that.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Diabetes.co.uk is Europe's largest Internet forum
0:20:07 > 0:20:09for people living with
0:20:09 > 0:20:10diabetes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14David Gregory has been to find out how everyday it helps
0:20:14 > 0:20:23people that have been diagnosed with the disease.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39I was diagnosed when I was nine, so 11 years ago now.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42It's all OK now.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47I was diagnosed in 1992 and how I feel about my diabetes at
0:20:47 > 0:20:50the moment, I'm happy with where I am.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I was four years old when I was
0:20:52 > 0:20:54diagnosed with type one diabetes.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I'm 28 now, I'm in a good place.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I've had diabetes for 53 years and I don't
0:21:00 > 0:21:03think I've ever got used to it.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06For people who know nothing about the disease,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08what's a normal day like?
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Managing diabetes, for someone with type one, there is a lot of
0:21:11 > 0:21:17decisions going on that other people just can't see.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Testing your blood sugar before eating, injecting
0:21:20 > 0:21:25after eating, counting carbs,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27working out how much insulin you
0:21:27 > 0:21:29have to give yourself, doing a lot of maths!
0:21:29 > 0:21:31It's a bit of a headache.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Around ten blood tests a day and around five injections a day.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Generally, it's very well controlled.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Making sure blood sugar is in range, treating a hypo,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45treating high blood sugar, drinking enough water,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47there's a lot to it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50At what point did you might realise you might have
0:21:50 > 0:21:52another problem?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I've always been on the bigger side but managed to keep
0:21:54 > 0:21:57it under control.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I'm not really sure what happened but I got to the
0:21:59 > 0:22:03stage that I got really large and every time
0:22:03 > 0:22:07I thought about dieting, I started binge eating.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Packets of cakes, packets of biscuits, large
0:22:11 > 0:22:15packets of crisps, it was almost as if I never
0:22:15 > 0:22:19thought about the sugar that was in the cakes and buns.
0:22:19 > 0:22:28I wanted them, so I had them.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Is it hard to spot when someone with diabetes also has a problem with
0:22:42 > 0:22:44food?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47One of the problems we have is that we suspect there are quite a
0:22:47 > 0:22:50lot of people with diabetes who have an eating disorder that hasn't been
0:22:50 > 0:22:53recognised.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56They often say that the diabetes, to them, has become a
0:22:56 > 0:22:58chore.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It is something they have to do and they often find this really
0:23:01 > 0:23:05difficult, trying to stick to regimes and trying to look after
0:23:05 > 0:23:07themselves.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12We know that if you have diabetes, you are much more likely
0:23:12 > 0:23:15to develop an eating disorder than if you don't.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16The risk is probably at
0:23:16 > 0:23:17least double.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21We don't know exactly why that is but certainly one of the
0:23:21 > 0:23:24possibilities is that when you have diabetes,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27there's a lot of emphasis on food, on having the right amount
0:23:27 > 0:23:29of food and the right types of food.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34Other possibilities include the fact that it is quite stressful to have
0:23:34 > 0:23:40diabetes and we know that stresses can precipitate eating disorders.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43The minute I started thinking about a
0:23:43 > 0:23:46diet, then I wanted to eat more.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51I just did eat more until I stopped thinking about it.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54That really is what led us to set up this clinic because
0:23:54 > 0:23:58we recognised that to help people effectively who had diabetes and an
0:23:58 > 0:24:02eating disorder, we need to have a team of professionals who understand
0:24:02 > 0:24:05enough about both sides of the coin.
0:24:05 > 0:24:13I think one of the biggest things was having Lynette to talk to.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Hi, it's lovely to see you, how are you
0:24:15 > 0:24:16doing?
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Not too bad at all.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It's good to be back with you for awhile.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It was definitely a mind thing, for me anyway.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28It was just a matter of clearing out the garbage and getting
0:24:28 > 0:24:33down to the nitty-gritty, if you like, of getting back into a
0:24:33 > 0:24:35sensible eating regime.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37How does that make you feel?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40They did the hard work, I only guided them!
0:24:40 > 0:24:44It's great to see people leaving the clinic
0:24:44 > 0:24:47with their eating under control, taking their insulin, diabetes well
0:24:47 > 0:24:52managed and just getting on with their lives.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03Diabulimia is just a hugely sad condition and the prevailance of it
0:25:03 > 0:25:07has become extremely common in the last few years.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It is important that you don't bottle up what you
0:25:10 > 0:25:13are feeling because the more you bottle it up, the more likely you
0:25:13 > 0:25:17are to become more and more sad.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22What we find is that on the forum, because it's people who live with
0:25:22 > 0:25:28diabetes day-to-day and have this blanket of understanding, somebody
0:25:28 > 0:25:32with diabulimia can feel comfortable to open up and that is
0:25:32 > 0:25:36often the first step in actually dealing with it.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39People have been living with it, struggling with it
0:25:39 > 0:25:43for a number of years, feeling embarrassed or scared
0:25:43 > 0:25:47to talk about it and the forum is one of the places you can talk
0:25:47 > 0:25:48about it.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51When people are talking about it on the forum, is it all
0:25:51 > 0:25:53diabetes, medical?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55We don't always have diabetes related questions.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59We can have anything from relationships
0:25:59 > 0:26:01to sex to just ranting about your best friend.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05We have a gardening forum and people put up pictures of
0:26:05 > 0:26:07their gardens and stuff and it's really nice.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's not just about diabetes, it is a community, we are
0:26:10 > 0:26:16like one big family across the world.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19How big is diabetes.co. Uk?
0:26:19 > 0:26:24It's huge, we're pushing 220,000 members.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26It's necome the biggest community in Europe with
0:26:26 > 0:26:28people with diabetes.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It is very useful to have the website.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33People will have questions about their
0:26:33 > 0:26:37diabetes and so many of us, we turn to the Internet to get answers here
0:26:37 > 0:26:38and now.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42It's a platform for people to connect all the way across the
0:26:42 > 0:26:46world to just talk to each other about anything
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and it's really interesting
0:26:48 > 0:26:50because you have someone in Australia talking to someone in
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Ireland and you get these completely different life
0:26:52 > 0:26:53experiences and they have
0:26:53 > 0:26:55this connection through diabetes so it's really
0:26:55 > 0:26:56constructive, not only
0:26:56 > 0:27:03just health care but in terms of friendship and support.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06So, does diabetes stop you doing anything?
0:27:06 > 0:27:07No, not at all.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I definitely try to not let it stop me doing anything
0:27:10 > 0:27:14because I like to go out with my friends and eat junk
0:27:14 > 0:27:17food and I just know
0:27:17 > 0:27:19that I have to take more insulin and keep an eye
0:27:19 > 0:27:23on my blood sugars.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24For me, not really.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Maybe if I wanted to go deep sea diving, but no,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31it doesn't get in the way of me at all these days.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It used to.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Of course you can live a happy life with
0:27:37 > 0:27:38diabetes.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40We have some of the bubbliest people here who live with
0:27:40 > 0:27:42diabetes every day.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44There's nothing to say that diabetes can hold you
0:27:44 > 0:27:45back at all.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48You are what you are and sometimes things happen in your
0:27:48 > 0:27:52life and it's not something to regret, it's something that shapes
0:27:52 > 0:27:54and moulds you as a person.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56People go through things in life but they
0:27:56 > 0:27:59shouldn't take them back, it's what makes you stronger
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and that is one thing I noticed in the forum, these
0:28:02 > 0:28:05people come to us, even if they are there in their darkest moments,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08these are the strongest individuals that we come across every single
0:28:08 > 0:28:13day.
0:28:14 > 0:28:20Happy with that, that's really good!
0:28:20 > 0:28:25If you're worried about diabetes, we've put together some
0:28:25 > 0:28:27really useful links for you.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30All you need to do is head over to this
0:28:30 > 0:28:34website.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35That's it from us for this week.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Here's what we've got planned for next Monday.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43What's the future for children's heart surgery in the
0:28:43 > 0:28:44East Midlands?
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Consultants in Leicester are worried.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49They are endangering children's lives.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51This is not a sound bite, not a cliche,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53this is the fact.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55We are very, very concerned.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Hello, I'm Riz Lateef with your 90 second update.