More young women in their 20s are getting type 2 diabetes - BBC

Experts at Imperial College London have identified a "worrying increase" in young women in their 20s developing type 2 diabetes in England, based on analysis of NHS data spanning 2011 to 2024.
The rise has largely occurred since the Covid pandemic and is closely linked to increasing obesity levels, with body mass index at diagnosis climbing faster among younger adults than older ones.
Around 12,000 people under 30 now live with type 2 diabetes, with women making up more of these younger cases, according to NHS England estimates; overall, about 90% of the UK's six million diabetes patients have the type 2 form.
When the disease develops earlier in life it tends to be more aggressive, raising the risk of severe complications such as heart attacks and strokes, according to Diabetes UK, which stresses the importance of early diagnosis to prevent long-term organ damage.
Obesity rates in England have worsened since the pandemic, with nearly one in three people affected; between 2019 and 2025, new obesity cases rose 16% among those aged 20-29 and almost 20% among those aged 30-39, while falling in adults aged 60-79.
Lead researcher Dr Shivani Misra says earlier onset of severe obesity is pulling down the age at diagnosis, and suggests newer obesity treatments such as GLP-1 jabs and pills, alongside healthy eating, could help; type 2 diabetes can sometimes be put into remission through diet and weight management.