Diabetes eating disorder warning

7.04.13am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 4th Jul 2007

Thousands of young diabetics could be skipping insulin injections in order to lose weight, the BBC has learned. People with type 1 diabetes need daily injections to help them absorb glucose to use as fuel. Failure to take correct doses can lead to rapid weight loss.

Charity Diabetes UK estimates that up to one-third of young women with the disease miss injections to stay thin. Doctors warn that the "diabulimia" eating disorder can lead to blindness, heart and kidney disease. US doctors recently went public on their concerns about the practice.

Since then, the BBC's Radio One Newsbeat has received correspondence from dozens of type 1 diabetics in the UK who say they have done the same.

A Diabetes UK spokesman said: "Blood glucose that is too high for too long can cause serious complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in younger people. Cardiovascular disease can also result from long period of insulin abuse as well as kidney disease and nerve damage."