Diabetes care, news, information & treatments

People who consume fast food on a regular basis are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, according to a 15-year study in the US, published in the The Lancet.

The eating habits, changes in weight and insulin resistance were examined in more than 3,000 adults between the ages of 15 and 30.

Those who ate junk food more than twice a week were on average 9.9lb heavier and were also twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

"Fast food can be high in fat and salt and we have known for some time that regular intake increases the risk of a variety of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes," said Natasha Ede, Care Advisor at Diabetes UK.

"Individuals should try and choose healthier alternatives as part of a balanced diet and take regular physical activity to reduce the risk of later problems."

Good news: there is no special diet for people with diabetes.

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The healthy diet for people with diabetes is the healthy diet recommended for everyone. Although choosing your food wisely and adopting sensible eating habits can help you manage your diabetes, you can still enjoy a wide variety of foods as part of a balanced diet.

Try to get more active too, not only to control your weight and your diabetes, but to reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

If you are overweight, losing weight will help you control your diabetes. You should aim to lose weight slowly over time rather than by drastic dieting. Even if you don't manage to get to your ideal weight, losing a small amount and keeping it off will help you.