Rockingham a red zone for diabetes

A snapshot of Rockingham diabetes figures puts the city in the high-prevalence red zone with 7 per cent of residents registered diabetics - more than 2 per cent higher than both the State and national figures.

The snapshot covered more than 28,000 people who live in seven suburbs within the city's 6168 postcode.

In light of Diabetes Week, last week, the _Telegraph _ interviewed two residents who have differing types of diabetes - Erica Phillips who has type 1 and Colin Willey who has type 2 - to gain insight into the conditions.

During the past 12 months, more than 100,000 people have registered on the National Diabetes Services Scheme across Australia.

According to the NDSS statistics, 4.9 per cent of the entire Rockingham local government area population, or 6181 people, have diabetes - putting Rockingham on par with national statistics but higher than the State overall, which sits at 4.4 per cent.

Of those diagnosed with diabetes in Rockingham, 87.5 per cent have type 2, 9.7 per cent have type 1, and 2.5 per cent have gestational diabetes.

Diabetes Australia highlights type 2 diabetes results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, but the risk is increased by high blood pressure, being overweight or obese, and poor exercise and diet.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot make insulin and the body cannot move glucose from the blood stream into the cells for energy - with causes, prevention, and cure unknown.

Diabetes WA health services general manager Helen Mitchell said diabetes was a serious and life-changing condition which, by 2017, would overtake heart disease as the leading cause of disease burden in Australia.

"It is estimated that there are currently 1.7 million Australians living with diabetes - yet only 1.1 million of these people know that they have diabetes," she said.

Ms Mitchell said there was a stigma attached to diabetes because of the misconception that people with diabetes had brought the condition on themselves.

Ms Mitchell said reducing community misunderstandings around type 2 diabetes would help people with both types of the condition.