Diabetes and obesity go hand in hand as mass killers of society. Diabetes is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States and the primary cause of diabetes is obesity.
Although diabetes is treatable with proper glycemic control and insulin therapy, it’s estimated that about a third of diabetics have never been formally diagnosed and therefore are never treated. So, the big question is how do we stop this huge epidemic and how can those disposed to diabetes and obesity reduce the risk of death and sickness in their future?
The solution is simple. Taking the sugar out of your diet, getting out and exercising on a daily basis, nutritional supplementation, and taking control of what you eat will increase one’s chances of living a healthy life. It sounds simple but as we “foodies” know, it’s not quite that simple. We just have to make up our minds is it more important to fill our bodies with sugar laden goodies or to have a few toes amputated in the future?
For a long time now, diabetes has simply been thought of as a relatively benign sickness of the old, but now those of relatively younger ages are becoming affected. Diabetes is the primary reason for blindness among adults. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes has the possibility, for the first time in over a century, shrink Americans life expectancy.
Sooner or later diabetes will affect us all, whether it is taking care of family members with the illness or simply resulting in higher insurance premiums and taxes. In this couch potato society in which we live, there has been a sharp rise in cases diagnosed worldwide. So, as a society is there anything can we do to stop this and to call attention of this problem?
In addition to the things listed above, we also need to inform people to get checked by a doctor. Some symptoms that you could have undiagnosed diabetes are frequent urination; wounds that will not heal; constantly thirsty; recurring skin, bladder, and gum infections; numbness in hands and feet; blurred vision; and Just because you may not experience any of these symptoms, do not think that you’re off the hook.
A lifestyle change will have to be made to prevent the disease from possibly invading your future. Studies show that nearly 60% of newly diagnosed cases could have been prevented or at least greatly reduced if the individual had simply got down to a health body weight. In this day of fast food and little or no exercise, it can be hard to make the choice to eat responsibly and get enough of exercise. Everyone has their excuses but we need to give them hope that it can be done and examples of how to start.
As a nation we can curtail the epidemic of diabetes and obesity but only if we get the word out and encouraging those who are eating themselves to poor health
