What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a long-term condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. Glucose comes from the digestion of carbohydrates including bread, rice and other similar foods. Insulin produced by the pancreas, helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel for energy. 

Types of diabetes

Type 1 diabetes develops if the body is unable to produce any insulin and cannot be prevented.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

• 85 to 95 per cent of all people living with diabetes have Type 2.

• The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by eating a healthy balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and doing physical activity.

Diabetes is a serious condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputation if not managed properly.

How many people are affected?

Over 2.5 million people have diabetes in the UK, and up to half a million people in the UK have Type 2 diabetes but do not know it. 

Who is Diabetes UK?

Currently Diabetes UK has 300,000 individual Supporters, including over 168,000 members, who are making a contribution to our work ranging from campaigning to volunteering, or financially supporting us by their membership donations, regular gifts or other financial support.

How we work

Our aim is to inform, educate, empower, influence and support people living with diabetes and raise awareness for those who may be at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

With the support of our partners we have and continue to achieve our goals through several
initiatives that support people living with diabetes:

Raising Awareness

• We organise awareness campaigns including Silent Assassin and Measure Up to educate the public about diabetes.

• Diabetes UK has been invited by the Department of Health to support the Change4Life campaign, through developing a joint advertising campaign that aims to raise awareness of the link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

• We distribute information and identify those at high risk of Type 2 diabetes through our national awareness Roadshow events.

Education

• We provide information through our award winning website, leaflets, magazines and other publications. Support, Campaigning and Research

• Our Campaigns team is a voice of people living with diabetes, and lobbies on their behalf to improve the lives of people living with diabetes.

• Our Careline answers more than 35,000 enquiries annually, helping people living with diabetes and their carers ease their management of diabetes.

• We raised £7.38 million for research for treatment of diabetes and the search for a cure in 2008.

• We organise Care Support weekends for children and families, for peer-to-peer support to help them manage their diabetes.

How you can help

We need your support to continue to meet our goals, improve the lives of people living with diabetes and increase wareness. By supporting Diabetes UK, you:

To find out more about Diabetes UK, please visit www.diabetes.org.uk.

Diabetes UK is a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 215199) and in Scotland (no.
SC039136).

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