Rising diabetes and obesity crisis laid bare by data analysts in new maps

The number of prescriptions given to treat type 2 diabetes – a disease associated with obesity and lifestyle – has risen by nearly 35 per cent in just four years, according to new research. Data analysts at Exasol produced a heat map of England showing prescription rates in 2011 and 2015, using official Government figures. They found that, based on current trends, the number of people with type 2 diabetes was on track to reach five million by 2020, five years earlier than previously thought.