People in their 20s and 30s are now getting so-called ‘maturity onset diabetes’, an Altona North GP will tell a forum in Williamstown on Saturday.
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, chairman of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, will be on an expert panel at Diabetes Victoria’s ‘Living well with diabetes’ forum.
In Hobsons Bay, about 5000 people or 5.5 per cent of the population, have diabetes, higher than the national average of 5.3 per cent.
In Maribyrnong, the average is 4.6 per cent.
Mr Haikerwal said the most people with diabetes, more than 85 per cent, had the type 2 version.
“It used to be called maturity onset diabetes, so as you were getting into your mature years … but now that will be very much in the 20s and 30s,” he said. “People will start getting it because of poor diet, lack of exercise, too much overload of sugar in their diet.
“Then that sort of starts a spiral of other chronic diseases. There’re stacks of statistics, and they just get more and more scary.
“Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate across Australia, across Victoria,” Mr Haikerwal said. “But around Melbourne, our area is particularly badly affected by it.
“We have a large number of people with multiple illnesses, although they don’t feel unwell, so in many ways they are hidden until they become a crisis.
“Often, the first time you find someone with diabetes is when they are extraordinarily ill, often nearly comatose, because the sugar has gone out of control. You’re having to stabilise them with insulin or send them to hospital because they’re too sick to treat out of the hospital.”
Diabetes Victoria chief executive Craig Bennett said diabetes will become Australia’s number one health burden over coming years.
“Diabetes increases a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, loss of vision and loss of limbs, but a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of these life-threatening complications,” he said.
The ‘Living well with diabetes’ forum – from 9am-2.30pm on July 9 at Williamstown town hall – is free for Diabetes Victoria members or $20 for non-members. Bookings: 1300136588 or membership@diabetesvic.org.au
