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June 19th, 2013 
The rising rate of Type 2 diabetes in Australian children is being blamed on parents.
Source: News Limited
PARENTS of Australian kids suffering from Type 2 diabetes should wear the blame for their poor health, an international expert says.
The president of the International Diabetes Federation Sir Michael Hirst has told the National Press Club in Canberra that Australia as a country should also be ashamed of the plight of these children.
Warning that diabetes has become a “mammoth peace time catastrophe” he said where previously people were losing their limbs to landmines, now they are losing them to diabetes.
Around 962 Australians aged under 20 have diabetes, a further 358 have gestational diabetes and another 29,700 Australians aged under 39 have the disease.
“That is a function the lifestyle, of the diet, of the lack of exercise and I have to say of parental responsibility as well,” Sir Michael told the Press Club.
“There is no point beating around the bush.
“This is a figure which I find personally quite shameful in any country where young people are succumbing to diabetes.”
More than 1.5 million Australians have Type 2 diabetes, another 280 cases are diagnosed every day and almost two million people have high blood glucose levels and are in a pre-diabetic state.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease which sees the pancreas produce some insulin but not as much as the body needs.
The risk of Type 2 diabetes is increased by high blood pressure, overweight or obesity, insufficient physical activity, poor diet and it will become the number one burden of disease in Australia in the next five years.
Patients with the disease are at risk of complications which include kidney failure, blindness and limb amputation.
Chief executive of Diabetes Australia Greg Johnson told the Press Club diabetes was costing Australia $14.6 billion a year.
The lack of a national strategy to deal with the disease meant in the last ten years 20,000 people had their limbs amputated and 10,000 went blind as a result of complications from diabetes.
Another 80,000 diabetes patients had heart attacks, 40,000 had strokes and 25,000 were suffering kidney failure and needed dialysis.
Diabetes Australia yesterday launched a five point strategy it wants politicians of both sides of politics to adopt after the 2013 election.
Earlier diagnosis and better management of diabetes would prevent complications occurring, while more needs to be done to change the diet and exercise habits of Australians to prevent the disease, the group says.
Women should get their weight under control before they become pregnant to prevent diabetes in pregnancy, the impact on indigenous Australians should be addressed and more money should be spent on research and evidence based prevention, Diabetes Australia says.
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