ONE in five women in Bermuda is at risk of developing diabetes.

For women over the age of 65, the statistic increases to one in three.

With such staggering predictions, women diagnosed with gestational diabetes have a clear warning that a lifestyle change is necessary.

More than 100 of Bermuda's mothers-to-be received that message last year. Should they not heed the advice, they could face a lifetime of hospital care.

According to past president of the Bermuda Diabetes Association (BDA) Debbie Jones, there are various forms the disease ? known as "the silent killer" ? takes.

"Type 1 Diabetes has been around forever. Type 1 Diabetes is where the pancreas isn't making any insulin. We're not really quite sure why that happens. Not a lot of people have Type 1 ? it may be fewer than 100 people in Bermuda and maybe nine per cent of all the people in the world.

"Type 2 is much more common. We have, we think, 8,000 people in Bermuda with it. Around the world it's 350 million and rising and we're expecting to see that go through the roof.

"And that's really because Type 2 Diabetes is much more inherited and (involves) lifestyle. Because it's inherited it's like someone giving you a gun ? the trigger is lifestyle."

Just as lifestyles have changed since World War Two, so has incidence of the disease increased, she added.

"There's so much more Type 2 Diabetes. Gestational diabetes only happens in pregnancy. It affects those women who will become Type 2 diabetics. If women have Type 1, then it's diabetes in pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that only shows up in pregnancy. It's like showing you a red flag.

"With gestational diabetes, usually after the baby's born and the placenta's born, the diabetes tends to go away. And so we say to mums, 'You are at risk. Right now, your baby has been born, your blood sugars are fine and you're not on any medications ? everything's good.

"But you've got to be consistent with an activity programme and you must eat healthy for the rest of your life to prevent getting diabetes because that risk is there."