Why is diabetes such a major concern in obesity-related healthcare costs?
Answer:
Diabetes is one of the most expensive downstream consequences of obesity.
Research from the York Health Economics Consortium and Diabetes U.K. found the NHS spends approximately £10.7 billion annually on diabetes care, with roughly 60% spent treating preventable complications rather than routine disease management.
These complications can include:
- Stroke
- Kidney failure
- Amputation
- Heart disease
- Vision loss
Many of these conditions also increase the likelihood of long-term disability and care dependency later in life.