The figures for Ireland are smaller than the UK, yet the scale of the problem when considered in terms of the population size is not minor.
In Ireland, it is estimated that there are well over 200,000 type 2 diabetics, and a further 100,000 people who have high blood glucose levels who are undiagnosed because they have not exhibited complications.
At current trends of obesity levels, the figure will double in the next decade.
The level of the population with impaired glucose tolerance is unknown, but it is expected that within the next five years half of this population will develop diabetes.
