Twelve per cent of adults in the Western Sydney Local Health District, about 91,500 people, have type 2 diabetes.
Another 38% of adults, or 290,000 people, are at high risk of contracting the condition.
The latest estimates are in Western Sydney Diabetes’ Year-in-Review 2022 report.
They underscore why Workers Lifestyle Group is funding a $500,000, five-year community campaign for diabetes prevention and early detection, says group CEO Morgan Stewart.
Workers Lifestyle Group, in partnership with Western Sydney Diabetes and Novo Nordisk, launched the Western Sydney Changing Diabetes campaign in December 2022.
The campaign promotes regular health checks along with healthy diets, cooking and activities to its 53,000 members.
“Diabetes is Australia’s largest disease burden and Western Sydney is a diabetes hot spot, yet 80 per cent is preventable by early detection and lifestyle changes,” Mr Stewart said.
“At the campaign launch, we heard that an average 2kg weight loss can prevent 30% of at-risk people developing diabetes.
“Western Sydney Changing Diabetes is about primary prevention, for the Western Sydney community and for members and staff at our Workers Blacktown and Workers Sports clubs.
With the support of sponsorship from Novo Nordisk, Workers Lifestyle Group is hosting fortnightly Western Sydney Diabetes detection testing for members and guests through the HbA1c blood test, which can detect the risk developing Type 2 diabetes within a few minutes. The next detection testing is on Tuesday, March 28.
Novo Nordisk has supported the installation of SiSU health stations at the Workers and Sports Clubs for members and guests, for broader health checks and tracking of health improvement as Club patrons engage with the health promotion activities.
The 12% incidence of type-2 diabetes among Western Sydney adults is significantly higher than the state-wide average, which NSW Health estimates at 11%.
About 22% of people attending Blacktown Hospital have diabetes and 30% of adults attending hospital emergency departments and GPs in Western Sydney have pre-diabetes (high blood sugar likely to progress to type 2 diabetes if untreated), according to the Western Sydney Diabetes report.
Diabetes is the main cause of preventable blindness, raises the risk of heart failure by 4 times and doubles the risk of strokes, heart attacks and dementia.
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Read the Western Sydney Diabetes report at https://www.westernsydneydiabetes.com.au/uploads/2023/02/Western-Sydney-Diabetes-YIR-2022.pdf
