England Sees 12,000 Under-30s With Type 2 Diabetes as Cases Jump in Women Aged 20-29
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
England Sees 12,000 Under-30s With Type 2 Diabetes as Cases Jump in Women Aged 20-29
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
Summary
NHS data analysed by Imperial College London show type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly in England’s under-40s, with some of the sharpest increases in women aged 20 to 29.
12,000 people under 30 now live with type 2 diabetes in England, and researchers say the post-pandemic rise is closely tied to worsening obesity and earlier severe weight gain.
Nearly one in three people in England are now obese; between 2019 and 2025, new obesity cases rose 16% in ages 20-29 and almost 20% in ages 30-39, while falling in ages 60-79.
Older adults still account for most new diagnoses, but their rates are edging down, highlighting a shift toward earlier-onset disease that experts say is more aggressive and raises risks of heart attacks, strokes and shorter lives.
Researchers and Diabetes UK say earlier diagnosis, healthy weight loss and newer obesity drugs such as GLP-1 treatments could help, while women with gestational diabetes need closer follow-up after pregnancy.
Why is an 'old person's disease' now aggressively targeting young women, and can our health system even cope?
Are miracle weight-loss drugs a real solution or a costly distraction from a broken food system?
Type 2 Diabetes in Young Adults in England Surges by 40% Since 2016: A Crisis of Inequality and Prevention
Overview
Type 2 Diabetes is rising sharply among young adults in England, with young women especially affected. Recent data shows that diagnoses in women under 40 have surged by 47% since 2017/18, which is more than double the rate seen in older women. Men under 40 have also seen a significant 34% increase. This trend highlights a growing public health crisis, as the disease is appearing earlier and progressing more aggressively. The report underscores the urgent need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies to address these alarming increases and protect the health of the younger generation.