Type 2 diabetes is called the more preventable type of diabetes because it is so heavily affected by lifestyle choices - particularly obesity. These horrifying images of a stage-by-stage lesion on a man's foot - who was obese and didn't realise he had diabetes - paint the unflinchingly reality of what that entails.
The man developed the lesions after he bought some new shoes that rubbed against his feet. It then developed lesions which grew into a full blown infection. The Daily Mail reported: "Within days his right foot was black, weeping pus and in urgent need of surgery."
The man's case was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine which highlighted the effect the condition can have on the extremities - especially the feet.
Diabetes UK also released some sobering statistics - every 30 seconds, a person loses a lower limb to the condition.
Why is limb amputation common with diabetes? The Diabetes UK website states: "Disease of the foot is a complication of diabetes caused by damage to the nerves and blood vessels that serve the limbs, but worryingly one in three people with diabetes do not realise that having the condition puts them more at risk of having an amputation."
The foot is a particularly vulnerable area because it can be prone to blisters, and if there is poor circulation, the foot can feel a bit numb, meaning that infections aren't picked up on as quickly.
The man photographed his foot thinking it would heal - when it didn't he visit the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland, said the patient arrived at hospital 10 days after the infection had begun. He was diagnosed with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.
The latter is used to describe damage to the nerves, which - in the case of diabetes - is caused by high sugar levels in the blood stream. 1 in 5 people with diabetes will have peripheral neuropathy.
After surgery to remove the dead skin and antibiotics, the man made a recovery and did not require amputation. He has since lost weight to manage his condition.
