A “DIABETES tsunami” is engulfing Bolton’s population, a leading doctor has warned.

The number of people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes has risen by more than 15,000 in just two years.

An obesity epidemic and a rise in south Asian residents — who are up to six times more likely to develop the disease — are at the root of the increase.

And childhood obesity must also be tackled to reduce diabetes, experts say.

Dr Stephen Liversedge, the GP behind the pioneering Big Bolton Health Check, says prevention has improved but dramatic intervention was needed to help children.

Dr Liversedge, clinical director of primary care at Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “Diabetes is increasing inexorably and there are two reasons.

“The first is our changing, diverse population. We have more people from ethnic minorities who have an increased risk of developing diabetes.

“Secondly, the obesity epidemic in Bolton is fuelling the rise in type 2 diabetes.

“To really prevent it, we have to do something about obesity. You have to eat less and exercise more and eat healthier. When that happens, you reduce the risk.”

The number of people identified as at risk of diabetes in Bolton has risen from 4,645 in March, 2012, to 19, 989 in March, 2014.

Diabetes currently accounts for about 12 per cent of of health services spending.

The number of people diagnosed with diabetes — about 18,000 — continues to rise year-on-year in Bolton.

However, the rate of increase has started to slow for the first time this year.

Dr Liversedge says a new screening programme is the reason.

The At Risk Diabetes Project in 2013 identified those at risk of diabetes by checking for high blood sugar levels.

Patients then worked with one of Bolton’s 20 health trainers to improve their diet, to exercise more and lose weight.

The project yielded positive results, with an average weight loss of 4.6kg and waist measurement reduction of 6.16cm.

Dr Liversedge said: “Our principle in the CCG is to prevent diabetes as much as we can. But where we cannot prevent it, we will treat it as well as possible.

“We have made significant improvements in both those arenas. For example, now we screen the population not just for diabetes but for people at risk of diabetes.

“When I tell someone they are at risk of diabetes they say: ‘What do I have to do?’ It makes them listen and they agree they need to lose weight.”

More than half of Bolton’s population is overweight or obese.

And one-in-five pupils in Bolton — 21.2 per cent of Year 6 children — were identified as obese in 2013.

Dr Liversedge said childhood obesity must be tackled, starting with the parents.

He added: “We have to address childhood obesity. But the people to address that problem are parents allowing their children to eat more than they should, not eat healthily and not exercise.

“This has to be addressed on a number of fronts surrounding education in children and in parents. I think there’s a failure in general of health care professionals to be a bit more explicit about these things.”