A RISING tide of obesity is fuelling an increase in the `time bomb' disease of diabetes.
More than 100,000 people in Greater Manchester have the condition and it is becoming much more common in younger people and even children.
Nationally, the number of newly-diagnosed people has jumped 63 per cent in one decade and experts warn that if the rise continues as predicted, the NHS will not be able to cope.
Dr Martin Gibson, of north west diabetes research network, said: "There is no such thing as `mild' diabetes, it is all very serious. It is crucial to work more on prevention, not just on cure.
"We need better information, better education and better planning to help children live healthier lifestyles, eat better and exercise more."
Experts found the number of men, women and children with Type 1 diabetes, which usually develops in childhood, and Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, rose dramatically between 1996 and 2005.
'Sad indictment'
In the six years between 1997 and 2003, the number of new cases leaped 74pc, and rose 63pc across the decade.
The figures were based on new and existing cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes recorded by more than 300 GP surgeries. Over the decade, 49,999 people who already had diabetes were registered, along with 42,642 newly-diagnosed.
Of the newly diagnosed, 1,256 had Type 1 diabetes - and 41,386 had Type 2.
In Bolton, 4.5pc of people have the disease, one of the 20 highest rates in the country.
There are also high levels in Oldham, Rochdale and Wigan and all 10 Greater Manchester health trusts have higher levels than the national average, with 111,294 in total, figures show.
Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This is a sad indictment of the state of the nation's health - we know soaring rates of Type 2 diabetes are linked to the country's expanding waistline.
"It is imperative to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if we want to defuse the diabetes time bomb."
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