Far north Queensland is in the grip of a diabetes spike with some local government areas having up to 60 per cent of the population affected.
While some indigenous communities have recorded extraordinarily high levels of diabetes, the region as a whole has showed a marked increase in the incidence of the disease, as has the general Queensland population.
Two million Queenslanders were at risk, Diabetes Australia said.
In the Cairns local government area, 4.5 per cent of population have diabetes, up from 3.3 per cent in 2007.
In the Mt Isa local government area, 4.8 per cent of population has diabetes, up from 3.4 per cent in 2007.
In indigenous communities, Mapoon has 60 per cent of its population with diabetes - up from 23 per cent in 2007, Wujal Wujal has 44.7 per cent, and Hope Vale 28.5 per cent, with others having smaller levels but showing a marked increase since 2007.
The figures from the Queensland branch of Diabetes Australia reveal that 66 of Queensland's 74 local government areas are hotspots for diabetes, a dramatic increase on 2007 figures.
CEO Michelle Trute said the 2010 data showed 27 local government areas had a diabetes incidence above seven per cent of the population, compared with only 16 areas having such high levels in 2007.
'Diabetes is the fastest growing non-infectious disease in the world and two million Queenslanders are at risk of type 2 diabetes because they are overweight,' Ms Trute said.
'Despite campaigns such as our National Diabetes Week and Queensland Government programs Eat Well Be Active and Smart Choices, it is clear from this new data that more needs to be done.'
Diabetes-related medical cases now occupied one-in-five Queensland hospital beds, and diabetes was the number one cause of avoidable hospitalisations in the state, Ms Trute said.
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