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Rising childhood obesity has led to a huge rise in the number of type 2 diabetics, according to a charity.
The number of children being treated in pediatric diabetes units in England and Wales increased from 621 in 2015/16 to 973 in 2020/21.
Diabetes UK today described the 57 per cent increase seen over the last five years as “worrying”.
She accused the government of "failing our children" as she called for concerted action to tackle Britain's bulging waistline.
And Diabetes UK warned that the cost of living crisis could cause further problems in the coming years.
Experts described the mix of rising obesity and financial pressures as a “perfect storm that risks irreversible damage to young people’s health.”
Demand for care for people with type 2 diabetes in pediatric diabetes units across England and Wales has increased by 57 per cent. The number of children treated in the units increased from 621 in 2015/16 to 973 in 2020/21
This year's figures showed the proportion of obese four and five year olds rose by 46 per cent from 2019/20 to 2020/21.
The rate rose from one in 10 children obese in their first year of school to one in seven.
Obesity is thought to account for 80 to 85 percent of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the UK.
Diabetes UK said children in the most deprived parts of England and Wales were “disproportionately” affected by the disease.
Four in 10 children and young people with type 2 diabetes lived in the poorest areas, compared to just one in 19 in the richest.
This reflects data on the prevalence of childhood obesity, she added.
The charity said that given the added burden of the cost of living crisis, the poorest children “will bear the brunt for decades to come”.
Chris Askew, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “We are very concerned that this rise in childhood obesity will lead to an even greater increase in children with type 2 diabetes in the coming years, a crisis fueled by long-standing health inequalities and compounded by the impact of the cost of living crisis.
“The government needs to completely rethink its commitment to children’s health.
“This must start with urgently reversing the decision to reverse its commitments to the Obesity Strategy and go further with bold steps to address childhood obesity and poorer outcomes for children living in poverty in the forthcoming Health Disparities White Paper.
He added: “The British government is failing our children.
“With the number of children living with obesity now on the rise and the number of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a very worrying rise, we are facing a perfect storm that risks irreversible damage to young people’s health.”
Rising childhood obesity has led to a more than 50 per cent increase in the number of diabetics with type 2 diabetes in the last five years, according to Diabetes UK