大象传媒

Type 1 Diabetes is most common amongst young people. The UK has the world鈥檚 fifth highest rate of Type 1 diagnosis in children aged up to 14. Type 1 Diabetes causes the level of sugar in the blood to become too high. It happens when the body can鈥檛 produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose.

Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, the risk of developing Type 2 is greatly increased by living an unhealthy lifestyle. And with more than a third of children in England overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school, the diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes is on the rise amongst young people.

According to research by King鈥檚 College London鈥檚 Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyles for Diabetes team, people of African and Caribbean descent are up to three times more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes than the general UK population.

We explore what it means to live with Diabetes as a young person and within the black community; and hear a range of personal stories - including 1Xtra presenter DJ Ace.

Toyosi Bello is a PhD Student at the Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King鈥檚 College London. Maria D鈥橝mico is an artist who worked on Soul Deep - a London exhibition raising awareness of Diabetes within the West African community. Sascha Hutson is 30 years old and has Type 1 Diabetes.