PROMOTION A weight-loss solution that goes far beyond a diet An astonishing surge in cases of diabetes in the UK could be stopped in its tracks if more people considered a VLCD (very-low-calorie diet) B usiness is booming in the diabetic field in 21st-century Britain, but there's no cause for celebration. It simply reflects the fact that rates of type 2 diabetes have doubled in the last 20 years, writes GP and LighterLife Medical Director Dr Matthew Capehorn, Around 3.2 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes and there are an estimated 1.1 million people walking around undiagnosed, with another 11.9 million at risk. That's an astonishing 16.2 million people who may be affected, and another new case is diagnosed every two minutes. So what's causing this surge? In a word (or two): excess weight. Around 85% of these cases are triggered by weight gain. For many years, once people were diagnosed, that was thought to be it: they had a chronic Dr Matthew Capehorn, GP and LighterLife Medical Director