A CHARD woman has cut her insulin intake, thanks to the help of Dr's and a local slimming group.

Lesley Fairburn, 69, was told by her Dr and diabetes nurse that she could cut down on medicated insulin if she lost weight.

Lesley, who is a type two diabetic, has lost over two stone in just 17 weeks at the local Slimming World group in Chard.

She said: "I feel better and happier in myself and people are starting to notice and say I'm looking good, as well as not needing to use as much insulin.

"I couldn't loose weight on my own, but in the group you get help from other people and talk about what works and doesn't work for different people."

Type two diabetes currently affects 1 million people in the UK and this figure is predicted to double by 2010.

But it is thought that loosing just a stone could help diabetes sufferers cut their medication.

Lesley has now cut her insuling intake from 90units to 60units.

She added: "I want to loose about another three stone, so I've still got a long way to go but I can really tell the difference."

* Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of sugar in the blood is too high because the body can't use it properly.

It occurs because the body isn't producing enough insulin, a hormone which helps glucose to enter the cells where it is used as fuel by the body.

There are two types of diabetes, type one and type two.

* People who are overweight (with a BMI over 25) and not physically active are more at risk of type 2 diabetes.

In particular, people who are an "apple-shape" - tending to hold excess weight around the abdomen - are at greater risk of developing diabetes.

* Type 2 diabetes runs in families, and is particularly common among people of African-Caribbean or Asian origin.

* Having high blood pressure or high cholesterol can be factors that increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.