NORTH WEST KNOWS ITS GREEN FACTS – BUT REGION’S KIDS ADMIT TO BEING MOST WASTEFUL

RESEARCH launched to coincide with Energy Saving Week – up to 50 families across UK have allowed their kids to go “undercover” and report on their families’ everyday fight against climate change. People from the North West are green masterminds according to the new research launched to mark the beginning of Energy Saving Week ending on 25 October 2009.

A survey of 3000 adults and children across the UK shows that Brits know their climate change facts – and people in the North West are some of the most clued-up people in the country.  When asked a series of 6 true or false questions as part of a Climate Change IQ test – on subjects ranging from the causes to the effects of climate change – most people from the North West managed to answer 5 of the 6 questions correctly. More people in the North West (80%) know that methane is a greenhouse gas than people in London (75%).

While people in the North West know about climate change, their kids aren’t top of the class when it comes to putting green knowledge into practice.  Of the children in the North West surveyed, 46% said they were the most wasteful people in their home – and 67% of parents agreed.  According to the survey, children in the North West admit they were responsible for some of their family’s biggest energy wasting acts, leaving the lights on when they leave the room (46%), leaving the computer switched on when it isn’t in use (44%), and spending longest in the shower (32%).

To help the British public learn how to put their knowledge in to practice, the Energy Saving Trust has launched a series of nine free day-long ‘Climate Change Academies’ throughout England, which kick off during Energy Saving Week.  The Energy Saving Trust is already working with 50 families across UK, who have allowed their kids to go “undercover” and report on their families’ everyday fight against climate change. The results will be unveiled during Energy Saving Week.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock MP said:- “I’m not surprised British people know more about climate change because we are leading the world in cutting carbon emissions to prevent global warming. This effort puts the UK in a strong position ahead of the Copenhagen summit negotiations in December 2009.   With climate change on the national curriculum, British children will get a better understanding as to why it’s important to switch off lights and computers when they’re not in use. Considering around 40% of carbon pollution is a result of personal choices, there is huge potential for everyone to start bucking the trend. Energy Saving Week is a great place to start.”

Energy Saving Trust chief executive Philip Sellwood is calling for North West residents to continue taking green issues seriously by putting their knowledge in to practice. He said:- "Our research clearly shows that North West householders have the knowledge, however they don’t seem to act on it. As a nation we need to put theory in to practice.  Even though our kids are the most wasteful in the home we have managed to enlist the help of 50 ‘undercover reporters’ across the UK eager to buck that trend. They have captured their families’ wasteful ways on camera over the past couple of weeks, unveiling just how much energy is wasted and how easy it is to change habits and make a difference.”

The research also found that two thirds of North West mums believe they are the biggest eco-nags and the most likely to pester the rest of their family to do eco-chores (66%) – more than the national average of 77%. And green chores are bringing families together, with 73% of North West families likely to take clothes to a charity shop together.  Sellwood concludes:- “When it comes to combating climate change, everyone can do their bit. So people should listen to mum nagging, tell the kids to get out of the shower and start doing green chores together! It is time for everyone across the North West and the UK to think green, act green and be green."

Energy Saving Week – now in its 13th year – is designed to promote energy saving action among householders through a concentrated programme of events across the UK, via a range of partner organisations and the Energy Saving Trust's network of regional advice centres.  To find out what can be done during Energy Saving Week, people should call their local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512012 for free impartial advice.   The research was commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust – the UK's leading organisation set up to help people fight climate change – and undertaken by pollsters ICM Research. One-thousand-five-hundred adults and 1500 children throughout the UK and 500 adults and 500 children in each of France, Spain and Germany took part in the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken in to the current knowledge of climate change and what people do to combat climate change in different European countries.

Over a million in North West have ‘prediabetes’

AN estimated 1,093,000 people in the North West have prediabetes - an under-diagnosed condition that puts them up to 15 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, - according to a new report released by leading health charity Diabetes UK.

People with prediabetes, also known as Impaired Glucose Regulation (IGR), have blood glucose (sugar) levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. Recent research has shown prediabetes may already be causing long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system.  Many people with prediabetes are overweight or obese at diagnosis and 90% will either have a family history of prediabetes or have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Crucially, prediabetes can often be reversed and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes reduced by 60% simply through losing even just a moderate amount of weight, adopting a healthy, balanced diet and increasing physical activity levels.

Diabetes UK is also launching its Get Serious campaign, which aims to get as many people as possible to join Diabetes UK in the fight against diabetes, one of the UK’s biggest health challenges. The charity is asking people to sign up to the campaign and show their support. This could be by pledging to make healthy lifestyle changes, fundraising, campaigning or volunteering.

Regional Manager for Diabetes UK North West, Helen Pattie, said:- “It’s staggering that an estimated 1 million people in the North West have prediabetes, which is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, a serious condition which can lead to long term complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputation and blindness.  Identifying and educating people with prediabetes is vital as it’s not too late for many to make healthy lifestyle changes, reverse the condition completely and reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.   Recent figures show that more than 145,000 new cases of mainly Type 2 diabetes were diagnosed in the past year, bringing the total number of people with diabetes in the UK to 2.6 million. It’s time for all of us to get serious about our health if we want to have any chance of defusing the ticking timebomb of Type 2 diabetes.”

Diabetes UK welcomes the Government’s NHS Health Checks programme as part of their recent commitment to ‘Putting Prevention First’. The programme aims to assess and manage vascular risk in England and identify people at risk of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes UK wants similar screening programmes to be established across the UK.  Diabetes UK also recommends prediabetes be communicated by healthcare professionals in a clear and consistent manner to minimise misunderstandings. The seriousness of prediabetes needs to be highlighted along with its potential risks and how those affected can prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes.

If you are white and over 40 years old, or if you’re Black or South Asian and over 25 years old and have one or more of the following risk factors, then you may be at risk of prediabetes:-

• A close member of your family has Type 2 diabetes (parent or sibling)

• You’re overweight or your waist is 31.5 inches or over for women; 37 inches or over for men, but 35 inches or over for South Asian men

• You have high blood pressure or you’ve had a heart attack or a stroke

• You’re a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome and you are overweight

• You’re a woman and you’ve had gestational diabetes

• You have severe mental health problems.

The more risk factors that apply, the greater the risk of prediabetes. If a person has 1 or more of these risk factors Diabetes UK recommends they consult their GP or healthcare team. The progression from prediabetes to Type 2 diabetes may be up to 2 to 3 times greater in South Asians compared to white people. In the US prediabetes affects more than 56 million people, around 18% of the population compared to around 15% in the UK.

To sign up to the Get Serious campaign, text SERIOUS to 84383 or visit www.diabetes.org.uk/GetSerious.   All texts will cost £1 plus network extras, minimum of 54p from every text will be donated to Diabetes UK, apart from texts from Virgin where we will receive 34p. By texting you are agreeing to receive future updates and marketing from this charity, unless you text STOP to 84383.