Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the causes of diabetes.

The Department is actively tackling the root causes of type 2 diabetes. We are restricting junk food advertising on television and online, limiting school children's access to fast food, and are taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit-for-purpose.

Through programmes such as the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme we are supporting individuals aged 18 to 80 years old to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through behavioural changes. As of December 2024, over 2.3 million people have been offered support through the programme, and an independent evaluation showed a 37% relative reduction in diabetes risk in those who completed the programme.

Additionally, the Department’s Better Health resources include free evidence-based apps, websites, and other digital tools, to support people to make and sustain changes to their health and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, including the NHS Weight Loss app, the Food Scanner App, Couch to 5K, and Active 10. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, and the exact causes of it are unknown.