NICKI Hornby was in what she considered to be decent health. She was active , ate a relatively healthy diet , and had a BMI in the "healthy" weight category. So when she started to feel very tired and noticed she looked a little slimmer aged 47, she didn't think too much of it.
"I felt out of sorts, but I thought I might just be experiencing early menopause," Nicki said. What she wasn't prepared for was being told she had type 2 diabetes . "I didn’t have any of the typical symptoms like being thirsty or going to the toilet more than usual, so it was very much a surprise when a blood test confirmed my diagnosis," Nicki, from Somerset , said.
READ MORE ON DIABETES "I’m 5ft 4in and weigh 9st 2lbs (58kg), and I can see people looking at me trying to process that I have type 2 diabetes. "That’s quite hurtful and impactful." Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or the body's cells don't react to it properly.
You may be at higher risk if you eat unhealthily, have a family history of the condition, take certain medications for a long time, have high blood pressure , or have gestational diabetes during pregnancy . Most read in Health People of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean origin are also at increased risk, according to the NHS . But the two main causes of type 2 diabetes are being overweight and a waist size that is too large.
Based on these risk factors, Nicki, who has a BMI of 21.9, was considered 'safe'. But no matter how thin or f.