Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly (Diabetes UK 2008)

There are three main types of diabetes:

• Type 1 - (or insulin-dependent diabetes) is when people produce little or no insulin. It can affect people of any age but usually affects children and young adults. Sufferers of type 1 diabetes need insulin injections every day in order to control the levels of glucose in their blood, without which they will die.
• Type 2 - (or non-insulin dependent) which is caused by the body’s resistance to insulin resistance or not enough insulin. Mainly found in adults and especially in ethnic groups with high diabetes prevalence. It is often associated with being very overweight.
• Gestational diabetes - which consists of high blood glucose levels in some women during pregnancy. This type accounts for over a quarter of pregnancies worldwide and it is linked with complications during and after birth. It usually disappears after birth but women with this condition and their children are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life.