Published 02 Dec 2025
How have you spent the past five minutes? Maybe making a cup of tea or taking a few moments to sit and check your emails? During that 5 minutes an Australian developed diabetes. This amounts to 300 Aussies every single day. It’s estimated that there’s almost 1.9 million Australians either diagnosed, or living with silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
While diabetes has been described as the biggest challenge confronting Australia’s health system, with the right advice, technology and support it can be managed, giving all the chance to live well.
GMHBA Health Insurance offers support to eligible members with hospital cover access to the Healthy Weight For Life Essentials Program. Read on for more information on diabetes, eating to support blood glucose and GMHBA member support.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. Glucose doesn’t just come from eating sugary foods but from carbohydrates in your food and drink and is the way your body’s cells get energy. To get this energy to your cells, your body uses insulin. If the body can’t use or effectively make insulin, it can build up in your bloodstream, causing ‘high blood sugar’ or high glucose levels. Over time having high blood glucose levels can cause damage to blood vessels and nerves, resulting in long term health complications including heart, kidney, eye and foot damage.
The are several main types of diabetes; all types are complex and serious:
In Australia type 2 accounts for 86.6% of all people diagnosed.
Are you at risk of type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes can occur when the body is resistant to insulin, can’t make enough or can’t correctly use insulin or and the blood sugar levels rise. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and affects a higher percentage of people than type 1. It usually develops in adults over the age of 45 but is becoming more common in younger people too.
While there is no single cause for type 2 diabetes and genetic factors can play a part, lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity and weight can impact the pancreas’ ability to make enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Learn more about the risk factors and how to reduce them.
The link between diabetes and mental health
Living with any chronic disease can come with many challenges. For people living with diabetes, these impacts can be physical and mental and impact many aspects of health. These impacts will change depending on where a person is in their life. Diabetes Victoria explains that 3 in 4 people living with diabetes experience mental health challenges. Treating diabetes in a holistic way by both looking after the body physically, and looking after mental health can help.
In addition to people living with diabetes are the family members and carers who play a supporting role. It’s estimated that 2.4 million Australians are affected by diabetes every day. Whether you live with, or support a loved one with diabetes, however well you try to put your mental health first, it’s still common to experience ‘diabetes distress’. This is the distress of the emotional burden of managing and living with diabetes. Diabetes Australia explains from time to time you may feel:
- Overwhelmed with the needs and demands of living with diabetes
- Feelings of failure, inadequacy or guilt that you’re ‘failing’ with your diabetes management
- Concerns and worries about your long-term health
- Frustrations from the inability to control or predict your diabetes
- A general burn-out from the efforts of managing diabtes.
While it’s normal to feel this way, it’s important to seek assistance if these feelings become overwhelming.
- Your doctor
- Your diabetes educator or diabetes health professional.
- NDSS Helpline - 1800 637 700 or online tools
- Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636
- Lifeline - 13 11 14
- Headspace - supports young people with mental health, physical health, alcohol and other drug services, as well as work and study support.
Find more diabetes mental health support from the Diabetes Australia list.
More support for managing and living well with diabetes
Healthier Together has compiled supports to help guide eating and lifestyle to support living well with diabetes.
Managing blood sugar with diet podcast
Blood sugar isn’t just controlled by simply adding or removing teaspoons of sugar from our diet. Everything we eat can have an impact on our blood sugar levels. In this article and podcast, Nutritionist Mel Bald takes us through what blood sugar is, causes of high glucose and the simple steps we can take to support our blood sugar levels.
Listen to the 30 minute podcast.
Read the overview of the podcast.
Tips for healthy eating to manage diabetes and reduce your risk
Whether you’re preparing food to support living with type 2 diabetes or looking for ways to lower your risk, GMHBA GP Dr Mark Davies and nutritionist Mel Bald share some healthy eating tips and guidance for how to fill a healthy plate.
Recipes
Explore more advice from nutritionist Mel Bald on healthy eating and recipes to try.
Get weight management support through the Healthy Weight For Life Essentials Program
GMHBA members who have held a hospital cover for 2 months and meet eligibility criteria can access the Healthy Weight For Life Essentials program. A comprehensive weight management program designed to deliver long-term, sustainable health and wellbeing results, it may reduce your risk of chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes.
GMHBA has partnered with Prima Health Solutions to deliver the Healthy Weight for Life Essentials Program which is led by their team of specialist dieticians and allied health professionals. During the 18-week program they support you through one-on-one phone consultations and via a secure online Member Hub to identify your personal goals and establish a unique action plan to guide you towards those goals.
Learn more about the program and eligibility.
Introduction to low impact exercise
Regular exercise is an important part of your diabetes management. It will help your insulin to work more efficiently and assist with your blood glucose management.
Exercising safely with diabetes – Before taking part in exercise, it’s important to check with your GP to assess safety and appropriate supports. Diabetes Australia have a comprehensive guide to help you get started.
New to exercise or just getting back into it? Exercise Scientist Bree Filippone has created a range of low impact, beginners exercise video program you can do from home and supporting podcast to help get you started.
Each 20-minute workout starts with a warm up then moves into the guided exercise component, including advice on how to make the exercise easier or more challenging depending on your needs and ability.
