UK football club aiming to kick type 2 diabetes into touch

A professional football club in England is teaching about the importance of diet and exercise as part of a type 2 diabetes awareness campaign.
National League side Aldershot Town FC recently announced a deal with healthcare company GlucoRx, which makes blood glucose meters, and has agreed to sponsor the 2016-17 seasons shirts of the youth department, a total of 276 players aged from eight to 16.
Now all the youth players at the Hampshire club are finding out about type 2 diabetes and how it can be prevented by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.
GlucoRx sales director Chris Chapman said the medical supplies manufacturer has a wider role in promoting awareness about type 2 diabetes. He also believes learning about healthy eating and exercise at an early age is crucial in preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes in later life.
He said: “I personally cannot think of any better vehicle to get this message across than football. We hope to really make a difference to our local community and also hopefully thousands of lives in the future.”
Head of youth Sam Waters welcomed the new deal and said health education was important.
“This work goes hand-in-hand with supporting the education of players within the club’s youth department to ensure all local children begin to value the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle,” said Waters.
Last week, a Cancer Research study found that teenagers drink nearly 80 litres of sugary drinks on average per year, which significantly increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.