Premier Training International has announced an increase of 49 per cent in the number of fitness professionals undertaking its training course to help people suffering from diabetes and obesity.

The training provider announced the figures to run in accordance with World Diabetes Day on November 14th 2013.

The news comes amid the revelation of recent research from Diabetes UK that suggests the number of people suffering from the condition will increase two-fold in the next 20 years.

The Obesity and Diabetes course was originally launched in February 2012 at Premier’s Finsbury Park venue, with an initial 100 trainers completing the course in London alone.

Premier Fitness states that over 250 people in total have now completed the course accredited by Active IQ, either as a stand-alone or as part of the Diploma in Exercise for Specialist Populations introduced in July 2012.

“As the national levels of diabetes and obesity increase, the industry is moving towards a closer alignment with the medical fraternity in tackling national health care issues,” said Victoria Branch, Global Marketing Director at Premier Global.

“We are finding that an increasing number of health and fitness professionals are recognising this and want to establish themselves as a credible alternative or adjunct to mainstream medical interventions.”

Other diabetes and obesity courses are on offer from training providers that include Discovery Learning, Parallel Coaching and Fitness Industry Education.

Nationally, 7.4 per cent of people aged over 16 are thought to have diabetes and this is projected to rise to 8.4 per cent by 2020.

The impact of exercise on diabetes is a topic of current intrigue in the health and fitness sector, with recent research suggesting that building physical activity into the daily routine could impact on the development of the condition.

More information on the Active IQ-accredited Certificate in Exercise and Nutritional Interventions for Obesity and Diabetes is available here