Diabetes is one of the major health challenges facing our nation. As many as one sixth of the population of Wales are at high risk of developing the disease, which is blighting increasing numbers of people around the world. As the Welsh Government’s own annual statement of progress points out, there is still a lot to do to address the wider lifestyle risks for diabetes and to tackle inequalities in access to diabetes services.

The sad truth is that the population of Wales is becoming increasingly overweight or obese and, therefore, more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes. As the ‘Together for Health’ report highlights, the most deprived in our society are one and a half times more likely to develop diabetes. Unfortunately, the majority of the general public are unaware of the risks of developing type two diabetes, and of the other health risks it brings.

People are unaware that a person with diabetes is at more risk from a stroke or a heart attack than a non-diabetic. People are unaware that a person with diabetes is more likely to have a limb amputated than a non-diabetic. And people are also unaware that a person with diabetes is more likely to die prematurely.

We have to educate the public about the risk that an unhealthy lifestyle could lead to them developing diabetes and the wider health implications that diabetes brings. Thankfully, the standards of diabetic care have improved massively in recent years, so it is now time that we start to focus on education. We have to educate the public of the risks associated with diabetes and educate them about how to properly manage the condition properly.

Diabetes UK have launched a ‘taking control’ campaign, which aims to get everyone diagnosed with diabetes to attend a diabetes education course, which will teach them how to take control of their diabetes and live a full healthy life. The Welsh Government must ensure that everyone diagnosed with the condition in Wales can attend a course within a few months of being diagnosed. Investment in this area may save the NHS a lot of money in the long run by reducing the complications associated with the disease.

However, I believe we must go a lot further. We have to ensure that every child in Wales is taught the importance of a healthy diet and the risks that come with being overweight or obese. As a former PE teacher, I endorse everything Angela Burns has said about the need to increase physical activity in the curriculum. I also believe that every child growing up should have a garden so that they develop emotionally and physically, and learn that play is important, because I think that social media has had a profound impact on children’s activity. At Christmastime, we don’t see as many children on bikes now as we used to see; they’re more involved in the internet.

So, it is a matter of national shame that nearly two thirds of Welsh adults and a third of Welsh children are overweight or obese. We have to ensure that we are better educated about the food that we eat. Part of the new national curriculum should focus on teaching our young how to eat healthy and how to live healthy. We have to teach our young children about the risks associated with an unhealthy diet, the risks of developing diabetes, the risks of dying early as a result of the complications of diabetes, and we have to teach our young people how they can avoid those risks and live long and productive lives, unblighted by type 2 diabetes. Diolch yn fawr.