II. The economic and social consequences of type 2 diabetes

he term diabetes mellitus encompasses a group of disorders which are all marked by a raised blood glucose level.1 Whilst the diagnosis is based on the elevated glucose level, diabetes is complex and involves changes in the body’s metabolism not only of glucose but also of fat and protein. The 3 main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes (GDM) and these account for over 95 % of diabetes.1 All three forms of diabetes are increasing but the greatest rise is in type 2 diabetes which has now reached epidemic proportions. Type 1 diabetes