TWELVE years ago Wyndham councillor Bob Fairclough received a phone call which changed his life.
His doctor told him he had become one of the hundreds of Australians diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every day.
“I went in for a check-up … he tested my blood sugar levels – diabetes was the last thing I expected,” he said.
The Hoppers Crossing resident recently spoke at a Diabetes Victoria event, where he urged the state government to improve preventative measures in a bid to combat the chronic illness.
The number of Australians diagnosed with diabetes is set to double from 1.5 to 3.5 million in 20 years. “The government needs to give money for initiatives to help promote early testing and detection, even in the work environment,” he said.
Diabetes can lead to complications such as heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
The western suburbs has the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in Melbourne.
