BT offers online test to all staff to assess risk of diabetes

STAFF at one of Britain's biggest companies are to be offered "testing" for diabetes.

From next week all 112,000 BT employees will be able to answer an online questionnaire to find out if they are at risk of developing the disease.

Bosses estimate 6,000 employees in their offices across the world already know they have diabetes, while a further 2,000 people could be unaware they are suffering from it.

The online test will include questions on people's height, weight, age and waist measurements. It will then assess a person's individual risk of getting diabetes, and give advice on how to avoid it. As part of the six-week campaign roadshows will be organised to raise awareness.

Dr Catherine Kilfedder, BT group health advisor, said: "Diabetes is one of the biggest health issues facing the world today. We all need to take our health seriously and make a positive effort to protect it."

Douglas Smallwood, head of Diabetes UK, said: "Diabetes UK is delighted to have joined forces with BT to raise awareness of the seriousness of the condition and of the importance of diagnosing type two diabetes as early as possible."

The most common forms of diabetes are know as type one and type two. Type two accounts for about 85 per cent of all cases in Britain and can often be prevented by lifestyle changes. In Britain there are 2.3million people with the disease, and up to 750,000 people are unaware they have type two diabetes.

Diabetes affects 246million people across the world and is predicted to affect 380million by 2025.

The expected rise is partly due to people eating too much fatty food and taking too little exercise.