In order to alleviate the burden of disease caused by diabetes in Australia, this report asserts that the primary aim must be prevention, and it is very important that every strategy possible is used as part of a comprehensive preventative response, requiring an all-of-government approach. Some of the policy recommendations include improving access to healthy foods, using a reformulation levy to decrease consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, limiting advertising of high sugar and highly processed foods - particularly to children, better urban planning to encourage increased physical activity and improved educational resources for our children about the dangers of diabetes.

In Australia, approximately 1.5 million people – some five per cent of the population – are known to live with diabetes. Moreover, there is overwhelming evidence that the number of Australians diagnosed with the condition will continue to rise. The nation faces what has throughout the inquiry been referred to as a diabetes epidemic.

The inquiry primarily focused on the causes of diabetes, as well as advances in prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition. The Committee also considered the broader impacts of diabetes on Australia’s health system and economy, and the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s current diabetes related policies and programs. Where relevant, the Committee explored the interrelated health issues between diabetes and obesity.

Key recommendations

• The Australian Government should undertake a comprehensive economic analysis of the direct and indirect cost of all forms of diabetes mellitus in Australia.
• The National Health and Medical Research Council should expedite a review of the Australian Dietary Guidelines, and ensure that the revised guidelines include adequate information for Australians living with diabetes.
• The Australian Government needs to implement a levy on sugar-sweetened beverages, such that the price is modelled on international best practice and the anticipated improvement of health outcomes. The levy should be graduated according to the sugar content.
• The Australian Government, in consultation and cooperation with state and territory governments, should develop a best practice framework to tackle the problem of obesogenic environments, including through better urban planning and the development of physical activity initiatives and supports efforts to increase access to regular exercise in schools and neighbourhoods as a matter of urgency.
• The Australian Government should explore the potential for effective national screening programs for all forms of diabetes, particularly Type 2 diabetes.
• The Australian Government should implement a national public health campaign to increase public awareness of the early signs of all forms of diabetes mellitus.