Hundreds of children and teenagers in England have type 2 diabetes, data shows, leading charities to describe the findings as a “worrying wakeup call” and urge that childhood obesity be tackled.

Type 2 diabetes has historically only been diagnosed in people over the age of 40, but data for 2019-20 reveals that the condition affects 1,560 people aged 18 or under.

It is known to be more severe in young people, and only 30% of sufferers receive the care they should, a report from NHS Digital found.

The data confirms a growing trend of serious health conditions related to obesity. Nearly one in three children aged two to 15 are overweight or obese.

Chris Askew, the chief executive of Diabetes UK, said it was shocking for even one child to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and called the figures “a sad indictment of the health of our nation”.

“These new figures are a worrying wakeup call,” he said. “The environment we live in is a major contributing factor to rising levels of childhood obesity, and in turn type 2 diabetes. Far more needs to be done to improve the environment in which we live.”

Askew said it was also important that children living with type 2 diabetes had easy access to specialist support to minimise the risk of serious medical complications in early adulthood.

Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious complications in later years, including kidney failure and heart disease.

If helped in the early stages after diagnosis, however, children can manage their condition well and minimise the risk of complications.

Diabetes UKhas urged NHS England to prioritise the development of services tailored for children with type 2 diabetes. It also wants the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to revise, reinforce and promote its guidelines on diabetes in children and young people to ensure access to care.

The charity also wants the government to go further in its measures to tackle childhood obesity. The proposed restrictions on junk food marketing to children were a start, it said, but more needed to be done to reformulate foods to reduce sugar and fat content and make healthier food more accessible.

NHS England has been approached for comment.