Heather Verry: Diabetes NZ Chief Executive on rise in diabetes cases

Since 2021, there have been nearly 96,000 new cases of diabetes in New Zealand - bringing the total to 324,000. 

Diabetes NZ says this is a "worst case scenario" which will only get worse. 

CEO of Diabetes NZ Heather Verry joins Ryan Bridge with more. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ray and Bridge concern over a sharp rising people with diabetes.
Since twenty twenty one, there's been a nearly ninety six
thousand new cases, which has taken the total to three
hundred and twenty four thousand diabetes in New Zealand says
this is a worst case scenario which will only get
worse and CEO here that varies with me this morning
here the good morning, oh good morning, thanks for being
with me. This is from the Diabetes Register. How accurate

(00:23):
are these numbers?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Well as accurate as you can be, because one of
the issues we have is we don't believe that the
data is capturing everybody, and it's particlarly not kepturing the
difference between type one and type two, which is an
issue in itself. But we actually predict there's probably about
one hundred thousand out there that are undiagnosed.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Right, and that undiagnosed with type two I'm assuming correct.
So can we just clarify because these numbers three hundred
and twenty four thousand plus one hundred thousand you think
are undiagnosed, they are type one and type two. What's
the difference?

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Type one is an autoimmune disease, and you just get
that there's nothing you can do to stop it coming,
and it's something you have for life. So type two
is one that generally comes up. It's because your pantcreas
stops working over time, and it is generally health style

(01:21):
related and it can be reversed.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
So this is the key, isn't it. The vast bulk
of the increase is type two, which is lifestyle related,
which means it's died and exercise and it shouldn't be happening.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Correct, It shouldn't be happening. So this is why each
month we do this education and awareness because we need
to sort of say to people, you need to be aware,
you need to get tested. Soon as you get tested,
then at least you can be put on medication that
will help you manage. And then the awareness is such
that if you change your lifestyle it will reverse. It's

(01:56):
really important.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
I know it's important, But I mean we've spoken about
this for Heather many times, haven't we. This message is
not it's clearly not getting through. What are some radical ideas?
I mean, do you put warning diabetes labels on food,
on soft drink? I don't know.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, there's a whole heap of initiatives. Really we looked
across the waters and saw that in the UK they'd
put in an intervention which was picking people up when
they're newly diagnosed and putting them into a two year program.
And this is starting to have some impact in the UK.
They believe they've sort of managed to sort of stem
the tide. As they say, so there are interventions, there's

(02:35):
a lot more education, a lot more support work that
can be invested into the health society, health sector and
just sort of given to make people aware of it.
Even though their families have had diabetes, it doesn't mean
to say that they have to have diabetes. That a
few simple things and they needn't have it. And the

(02:56):
challenging thing is we've got youngsters now getting diabetes and
that's where it's really sad. So really does need to
be some really firm support and education under certain sectors.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
It's a good message. Actually, it doesn't. Just because your
parents had it or your grandparents had it doesn't mean
you need to either. Here the very is with Diabetes
New Zealand. She's the CEO. Thank you very much for
your time. For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge,
listen live to News talks.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
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