Back in November last year, I shared the news that on Sunday 10th August 2014, I am to take part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 mile event to raise money for Diabetes UK and I would now really appreciate your support.
My mum was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, uncharacteristically, very late in life and since then, I have become aware of many other friends and family suffering both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The number of people out there with this disease has really shocked me. I am, therefore, wanting to support and raise money for Diabetes UK not only for the work they do in researching treatments and cures for both types but also to raise awareness. With type 2 becoming day by day even more common with the increase in obesity across the UK, anything we can do to promote healthy living through cycling has got to be a good cause.
So please support me in this endeavour by donating to my JustGiving page - it is easy - just follow this link and click Donate:
I will keep you posted on my training, how much we've raised and with my progress on the day.
Some quick facts about diabetes ...
Diabetes [mellitus] is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. There are two main types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes develops if the body cannot produce any insulin. Insulin is a hormone which helps the glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body. Type 1 diabetes usually appears before the age of 40. It is the least common of the two main types and accounts for around 10 per cent of all people with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). In most cases this is linked with being overweight. This type of diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though in South Asian and African-Caribbean people, it often appears after the age of 25. However, recently, more children are being diagnosed with the condition, some as young as seven. Type 2 diabetes is the more common of the two main types and accounts for around 90 per cent of people with diabetes.
In a Diabetes UK report of 2010 it was suggested that most health experts agree that the UK is facing a huge increase in the number of people with diabetes. Since 1996 the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has increased from 1.4 million to 2.6 million. By 2025 it is estimated that over four million people will have diabetes. Most of these cases will be Type 2 diabetes, because of our ageing population and rapidly rising numbers of overweight and obese people.
The figures are alarming and confirm that diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today. If we are to curb this growing health crisis and see a reduction in the number of people dying from diabetes and its complications, we need to increase awareness of the risks, bring about wholesale changes in lifestyle, improve self-management among people with diabetes and improve access to integrated diabetes care services.
So, back to how you can support me. I will be wearing the Team Diabetes UK jersey on the RideLondon and am aiming to raise at least £700 for the charity. I'd really appreciate your support in reaching this target.
Donating to my JustGiving page is easy - just follow this link and click Donate:
JustGiving sends your donation straight to Diabetes UK so it’s a quick and safe way to donate.
And remember, I will keep you posted on my training, how much we've raised and with my progress on the day.
Thank you!
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