A DIABETES sufferer recruited to a national charity today warned that an East Lancashire diabetes epidemic was inevitable.

Gordon Dixon wants to use his position to educate local children on the links between obesity and diabetes before levels get "dangerously high."

The retired mechanical engineer of Higherfield, Langho was appointed to the advisory council of Diabetes UK last month as north west representative.

Mr Dixon joined the charity after being nominated by the Ribble Valley voluntary group of which he is chairman and founder member.

He said the diabetes time bomb looked set to explode by 2010 with national levels on the rise and expected to reach above three million.

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

This type of diabetes accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease.

It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses or diet.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease.

This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency.

The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors.

East Lancashire has one of the highest levels of the illness in the country because of poor diet and problems linked to deprivation.

And one in five beds at local hospitals are taken up by patients with a diabetic condition - double the national average.

The prevalence of diabetes in Blackburn with Darwen is higher than the national average and Type 2 diabetes is often present but undiagnosed.

Over 10,500 people in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley have been diagnosed and the figure is constantly rising, with a similar number in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

Mr Dixon, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was 30 said: "Studies have found that children who are obese are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as those children who are of a normal weight.

"This is a major problem and needs addressing in children.

"Prevention is always better than cure. We need to educate them more from an early age.

"We are planning on how we can go into schools and target children.

"This problem is going to end up costing the NHS.

"It is more of a financial problem than heart attacks and strokes as children who are getting diabetes will need monitoring their entire lives."

Diabetes sufferers are at risk from heart disease, strokes, blindness and kidney disease - with around a million sufferers still undiagnosed.

An enhanced digital eye screening programme was launched in Blackburn with Darwen last week aimed at reducing the number of people with diabetes suffering from eye complications.

Screenings will take place at Darwen Health Centre, the Independent Living Centre (Mill Hill) and Larkhill Health Centre.