City Hall lit in blue to mark World Diabetes Day

Norwich City Council, the local Diabetes Network, and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are linking up to raise awareness of diabetes.

Norwich City Hall will be ‘lit in blue’ as part of the Blue Monument Challenge for World Diabetes Day taking place on 14th November.

Lighting buildings in blue is part of a global awareness campaign backed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to concern over the rise of diabetes globally.

Norwich City Council leader Councillor Brenda Arthur, who also has responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: “We are delighted to support the important work going on in GP practices, at the hospital and with the WHO to highlight the developments taking place to tackle diabetes and help people who live with the condition.”

NNUH Consultant in diabetes, and co Chair of the local diabetes network, Professor Mike Sampson says:

“Some 2,500 people in Norfolk are diagnosed with diabetes each year and it is predicted there will be about 70,000 people with diabetes in Norfolk by 2030. This increase is partly due to genetics, and partly due to changes in diet, lifestyle and weight in the population, and in individuals as they get older. About one quarter of people with diabetes don’t even know they have the condition, which can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

“The risk of getting Type 2 (adult) diabetes can be reduced with changes in diet and lifestyle, and good diabetes care can reduce the risk of getting complications, so its important to detect people at risk or with undiagnosed diabetes as early as possible”

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is less common, and makes up about 10 per cent of all diabetes cases nationally. It develops if the body cannot produce any insulin. This is a hormone which regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in the cells of the body. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin does not work properly. It accounts for about 90 per cent of people with diabetes and is often linked with other conditions, such as obesity or high cholesterol.

For further information on diabetes visit NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk or www.worlddiabetesday.org