MP urges healthy diets to combat diabetes
A Black Country MP is encouraging her constituents to adopt healthy lifestyles in a bid to combat the threat of diabetes.
Valerie Vaz says she is alarmed by figures showing that 9.28 per cent of people in her Walsall South constituency have diabetes.
The figure equates to 7, 871 people puts Walsall South as the 15th highest constituency in the country for diabetes.
There are 3.2 million diabetics in the UK, with the illness costing the NHS nearly £10 billion a year in direct costs.
Ms Vaz, who is the shadow leader of the House of Commons, said: "Around 80 per cent of the total diabetes spend is going on treating avoidable complications including kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, sight loss and amputation.
"These complications, and type-2 diabetes itself can partly be avoided through lifestyle choices.”
“I encourage everyone to make a lifestyle change."
Ms Vaz has started the 'Pioppi Diet’ which involves eating 5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables, consuming nuts and avoiding snacking between meals.
She added: “There are many other health improving diets out there, which have varying appeals. I invite everyone to pick one and try it out for 21 days, and see how you feel afterwards.”
