An estimated four million people now have diabetes, twice as many as in the early 1990s, a report from University College London revealed. Sir Sam Everington, who leads a general practice in south London, said obesity, diet and lifestyle factors were key, especially in disadvantaged areas. He highlighted the London borough of Tower Hamlets, where life expectancy and quality of life are significantly lower than in affluent parts of the capital.
He said: “Every Tube stop you go out towards east London, you lose a year of your life. In Tower Hamlets there are 42 chicken shops per secondary school.
“You actually have to drive out inequalities…and that’s quite a challenging concept.”
Speaking at a UCL press conference, he said there was “nothing wrong with the occasional chicken and chips” but it was a problem if such meals were the norm.
Oxford Biodynamics PLC (LON:OBD) was spun out from Oxford University in June 2007 with the aim of translating fundamental scientific advances into a commercialised platform technology and a new generation of biomarkers for cancer and other diseases including ALS.