Did you know that recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050? It is essential that we care about the issue of diabetes and do everything we can to stop it in its tracks.
November is the official awareness month for diabetes. Diabetes, in simplified terms, means that a person has too much blood sugar (glucose) in their blood. This can lead to serious health issues as glucose is an important source of fuel for the cells making up muscle and tissue and the brain’s main source of energy. There are different forms of diabetes — learn more.
Body weight and prediabetes (which can lead to type 2 diabetes) have been linked. This does not mean that everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight. Genetics and environmental factors also play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Inactivity, high blood pressure and weight do, however, put a person at more risk to develop diabetes. Diet and exercise are important at lowering an individual’s chances to get Type 2.
With early treatment, it is possible to reverse prediabetes. Research shows that you can decrease your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58% by losing 7% of your body weight (or 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds) and by adding moderate exercise into your routine.
The American Diabetes Association has an entire section of their website dedicated to helping people make smart choices around food, and offers recipes, tips and more.
For the month of November, the American Diabetes Association is illustrating the effort required to manage a disease that affects people 24/7, 365 days a year. The association is encouraging Americans to share “A Day in the Life of Diabetes” by uploading a personal image to their Facebook mosaic that shows what the daily life of diabetes means.
For more information in English and Spanish, call 1-800-DIABETES or visit stopdiabetes.com. You can also follow this month’s efforts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AmDiabetesAssn).