National Diabetes Week begins today to raise awareness of the risk factors that contribute to contracting Type 2 diabetes, the most common type diagnosed in Australian adults.

The message “reduce your waist, reduce your risk” has been chosen as this year’s theme by Diabetes Australia because excessive abdominal weight is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.

It’s estimated that around 800,000 Australians have type 2 diabetes and around 275 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed every day.

The Commonwealth Government recently announced an allocation of $103.4 million as part of a Council of Australian Governments initiative to address the growth in type 2 diabetes. States and territories will provide a further $101 million for other activities in this area.

Under the Commonwealth initiative, people aged 40 to 49 will be encouraged to take a “tick test” in their general practitioner’s surgery. Patients with a high risk score will be reviewed by their GP, who may refer them to a subsidised lifestyle modification program. Programs included in this package will have to be accredited Commonwealth Government providers.

The Commonwealth Government has had an ongoing commitment to the prevention and management of chronic disease, and diabetes in particular.

The Commonwealth is providing $667 million over five years to Diabetes Australia for the National Diabetes Services Scheme, which provides access to subsidised products for the self-management of diabetes.

It is also providing $44.2 million over the period 2005-06 to 2008-09 for the National Integrated Diabetes Program to improve the care of people with diabetes through general practice.

As part of a 2004 election commitment, the Commonwealth Government announced the $32 million Support for Diabetes Research measure which includes $30 million over four years for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Islet Transplantation Program.

Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing