The number of people diagnosed with diabetes has jumped more than 60% in just 10 years.

In a 10-year period the number of new diabetes cases soared 63%

Newly-released figures found that an increase in obesity was fuelling the soaring rates of Type 2 diabetes.

The findings suggest the number of sufferers in the UK is increasing faster than in the US, where prevalence of the disease is one of the highest in the world.

In the six-year period between 1997 and 2003 the number of new cases soared 74%, and rose 63% across the entire decade.

The research, led by experts from Spain and Sweden, was published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The figures were based on new and existing cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, taken from information supplied by more than 300 GP surgeries.

The number of new cases of Type 1 diabetes, which usually develops in childhood, remained fairly constant over the decade.

However, the number of Type 2 cases rose 69%, reflecting more overweight and obese people.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the research was a "sad indictment" of the current state of the UK’s health.

"Sadly, the statistics are not surprising as we know that the soaring rates of Type 2 diabetes, are strongly linked to the country’s expanding waistline," he said.

"It is imperative that we raise awareness of the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet and doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day if we want to make any headway in defusing the diabetes time bomb."

Via news.sky.com