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The incidence of type 2 diabetes is rising alongside increasing rates of obesity, in part because of people's lifestyle behaviours, such as an unhealthy diet and a lack of physical activity. The pathophysiological changes caused by central obesity can lead to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, both of which increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Managing obesity has been identified as the optimum strategy for preventing the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications. This article discusses the role of healthcare professionals in educating patients and the public about the causes and effects of obesity and diabetes, and outlines the evidence-based strategies that can enable healthcare professionals to reduce patients' risk of developing these conditions. The article examines some of the strategies that healthcare professionals can implement to minimise the risk of further complications for patients who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Nursing Standard. 31, 44, 52-62. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10106
Correspondenceb.bostock@educationforhealth.org
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Conflict of interestNone declared
Received: 29 April 2015
Accepted: 15 May 2017
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