The British Diabetic Association operating as Diabetes UK, a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 215199) and in Scotland (no. SC039136). © Diabetes UK 2019.

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See diabetes differently.

Anyone can get it.Why people get diabetes is complicated. Some things increase your risk of developing it, from genetics and ethnic background to gender, age and lifestyle factors. But sometimes it isn’t clear why people get it.

Anyone can get diabetes, at any time. It doesn’t discriminate.

It’s not just tablets or injections.

It’s so much more than that. Every day involves a thousand little questions, decisions and things to remember. It’s appointments, checks, calculations, what to eat. It’s your care on your shoulders. It’s knowing things won’t always go to plan.

It’s day in, day out. It never stops. It’s relentless.

It never stops, but you don’t haveto either.When you’ve got diabetes, just getting through the day can be a monumental achievement. But it doesn’t mean life stops. People have become professional athletes, topped the charts and ruled the country with diabetes.

It might make life harder but it doesn’t have to change your ambitions or adventures.

There are different types.Type 1 and Type 2 are the two main types of diabetes. There are rarer types too. What they all have in common is they raise sugar levels in the blood. And that can seriously damage the body.

But why they happen and how they’re treated varies.

One in 15 of us live with diabetes.That’s 4.7 million people in the UK – more than cancer and dementia combined. That includes one million people who don’t even know they have diabetes.

Chances are, lots of people you know are living with diabetes.

Type 1 Type 2

Find out more about what it’s like to live with diabetes and what you need to know.

Go to www.diabetes.org.uk/ DW2019

Five things about diabetes everyone should know

“There is a stigma to Type 2 diabetes because it’s all happening internally and there’s no visible change. It’s only after 10 to 15 years when it starts to have a noticable impact that you realise. People are unwilling to accept that diabetes is as dangerous as it is.”

Sandeep

“Throwing around grown men or fl ipping 100 kg tyres comes easily to me as a wrestler, but the fact that my diabetes can make me vulnerable at any time is infuriating.”

Charlotte

“It was a revelation to know that my daughter’s diet wasn’t restricted when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Nowadays it can still be annoying when someone says, ‘Oh, but Charlotte can’t have that, can she?’ But I was just as clueless beforehand.”

Charlotte and Katrina

“Diabetes has been a challenge to me, but I don’t suffer. It’s about educating myself and overcoming the challenges the condition presents.”

Ali

“There’s judgment from other people. I already feel judged. There are lots of reasons why someone could get Type 2 diabetes, and lifestyle is just one of them.”

Emma

Everyone’s story is different.