Why Diabetes Is An Epidemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts the world wide diabetic patients will be 240 million by the year 2010. United States spends as much as $100 billion a year for the healthcare of diabetic patients.
Type I and Type II are the two common form of diabetes. The main cause for both types of diabetes is insulin hormone in the body and its ability to process glucose in the bloodstream. Imbalance of sugar in the body has adverse effects ranging from kidney failure, eyesight loss, and in extreme cases, coma.
In case of Type I diabetes, immune system attacks the insulin-forming cells in the body. The pancreas fail to produce insulin and glucose level increases within the body, which puts stresses, the kidneys, leading to further complications. Type 1 diabetes normally called “juvenile onset diabetes”.
In case of Type II diabetes (alternatively “adult onset diabetes”) body fails to process sugar in the bloodstream despite the fact that insulin is produced by the pancreas. 90 percent of the estimated 300 million diabetic patients are suffering from Type II diabetes.
Type II diabetes and obesity goes hand in hand. Poor food habits like junk foods increases glucose in the blood cell. The pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to assimilate the extra sugar within the body. These extra calories are deposited in the body which makes you overweight. This extra glucose in blood is ideal for diabetes to sets in.
Diabetes gradually damages the internal organs irreversibly.
Major complications due to diabetes
The retina of the eye degenerates for diabetic patients, leading to loss of sight.
Kidney failure sets in due to the excessive stress from filtering too much sugar in the blood.
Symptoms such as lack of sensation in the limbs, and even impotence have been noticed among diabetics.
Sometimes, a diabetic patient gets severely dehydrated. The body cells lack the required energy due to poor metabolism. In this context, the entire body collapse leading to a Diabetic coma.
By observing a healthy lifestyle of eating and exercising right, the degeneration of body parts due to diabetes can be arrested.
Diabetes Symptoms
(1)Do you urinate too much?
(2)Have you observed that it takes unusually long time to heal any wounds?
(3)Are you getting tired easily?
(4)Do you need to drink water more frequently?
If any of these symptoms exists, you should consider checking up with your doctor because Prevention is better than cure
Preventing diabetes by proper diet
(1) It is recommended by Nutrition experts that diabetic patients need to eat bread, cereal, and starchy vegetables.
(2) Dietician also recommends fruits and vegetables should be part of your every meal.
(3) Avoid all kinds of processed sugar
Preventing diabetes by Exercise
Walk at brisk speed for at least 40 minutes after consultation with Doctor.
Arindam Chattopadhyay
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/why-diabetes-is-an-epidemic-53148.html
admin on April 17th 2010 in Diabetes Fruits and Vegetables
creativus_maximus responded on 17 Apr 2010 at 8:34 pm #
If Diabetes has become an epidemic, what is the cure?
If all the health and fitness commericials and talk shows on eating and obesity aren’t making a difference to reducing diabetes, what will?
CPF responded on 18 Apr 2010 at 1:36 am #
Simple – make healthy food more affordable, especially in urban areas (where the incidence rate of diabetes is much higher). I mean, it’s ridiculous that a 3L bottle of soda is $.99 and a carton of orange juice is $2.99. Two honeybuns for a dollar – two apples for $2. A bag of chips for 50 cents, dried fruit for $2. The disparity in price and availability in the city between junk food and healthy food is the real reason behind this nation’s obesity.
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Figato responded on 18 Apr 2010 at 1:38 am #
Do you really think people are eating chips and soda because they’re more affordable than Granola and Tofu?
No.
It will take a cultural shift where sugar is viewed in the same way as tobacco. Just watch a sitcom from 40 years ago and you see a tremendous shift in the public view of tobacco. If the same thing happened to sugar, you’d see a drastic reduction in the % of diabetes cases. I just hope it can be done without the media attacks, politcial correctness and demonization that occured around the "tobacco wars" of the 90s. That kind of demagoguary is not good for America.
Studies show that consumption of just 1 12oz sugared soft drink each day increases a woman’s chances of contracting diabetes by 80% !!
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Skinut responded on 18 Apr 2010 at 1:40 am #
Processed food contain a lot of salt and sugar – the added sugar hidden in our diet is the cause of a lot of diabeties – so we need to be more aware of the need for fresh food, avoid highly processed foods and dump the sugar.
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klotom responded on 18 Apr 2010 at 1:42 am #
First of all you must understan that there are 2 types of diabetes.
Type one: The body does not produce any insulin. The most hopeful cure is islet cell transplants. This is done by injecting islet cells from a cadaver into the pancreas of the individual with type 1 diabetes. The process needs cells from about 10 cadavers and now is about 70-80% effective for eliminating the need to use insulin.
Type 2 diabetes has a few causes. The body does not produce enough insulin or the body does not use insulin effectivley. There is some medication and insulin available to control this.
Either one of these can develop from a family history or by living a certain lifestyle. The best way to control, delay and or prevent this is from proper dietary habits. Portion control,eating healthy foods and exercise are still the best options.
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