The west already suffers a rate more than four times worse than the rest of the state, but the figures released this week are alarming. There is a real danger that a combination of cultural diversity, poverty, ignorance and struggling health services could turn this cliff-top plummet into a widespread calamity. The long-term cost of the problem unchecked in an ageing population could be dire. But as Professor Hamblin maintains, this is a fight that must be won at the preventive stage. The health scourge has the potential to kill more people and inflict misery on more lives than either of the other problems.

Premier John Brumby has called the figures a wake-up call, but it must be to both the general public and those in government. Disease prevention may ultimately be the responsibility of the individual and their lifestyle choices, but we can't neglect the issues of funding for both health services and educational programs.

These figures - particularly the rise in cases of under-39-year-olds - indicate a clear priority for an investment in the future health of our communities.

Neglecting the rub now will provide a festering sore to shame us all in the future. This is an issue that afflicts the lower socio-economic groups, which have less recourse to help. The pressure on health services is causing a widening gap between private and public systems. Health issues with widespread social implications like diabetes threaten to make the issue worse, potentially creating two communities, those with health care and those caught in a spiral of disadvantage. For now, we must all play our part in sounding an alarm for those potentially sleep-walking towards this cliff of ill health.