Feature Articles: Food, Fitness and Health
Diabetes: An Emerging Epidemic
Lynda Johnson, M.S., R.D., Regional Nutrition Specialist, West Central Region, University of Missouri Extension
It is estimated that 15 to 16 million Americans have
diabetes, and of these, approximately half, or 8 million,
aren't even aware they have it. Diabetes moved up from 7th
to being the 6th leading cause of death in the United
States, and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness.
Diabetics are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart
disease, the number one cause of death for both men and
women.
The greatest increase is for Type II diabetes, which is
primarily caused by a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. Type
II diabetes is no longer just a concern for senior citizens.
Many of the newly diagnosed cases are in children and young
to middle aged adults. Much damage can occur to your organ
systems before you are aware that you have diabetes. Some
people feel fine even though their blood sugar is high.
Others with Type II diabetes may not feel so well. You may
feel tired. You may feel thirsty all the time, and may need
to go to the bathroom a lot. Other symptoms for Type II
diabetes include blurred vision, frequent infections,
cuts/bruises heal slow, or tingling in hands or feet. The
long-term complications from diabetes include heart disease,
stroke, kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, and loss of
lower limbs due to amputation.
If at your last physical, your doctor said you had
"impaired glucose tolerance" or "impaired fasting glucose,"
you might not be too alarmed with this type of medical
jargon. However, if he said you had "pre-diabetes," chances
are you would listen more carefully. The American Diabetes
Association and the US Department of Health and Human
Services are now using the term "pre-diabetes" to describe
blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not
considered to be full-blown diabetes. These organizations
are also urging people to be screened for diabetes.
Screenings for diabetes can be done at your doctor's office
or most county health departments. Don't avoid being
screened because you are afraid you might be diabetic!
The good news is that diabetes is a disease that can be
cared for very well. Dr. Donna Israel, who conducted a
seminar on "Diabetes - the Emerging Epidemic", said some of
the healthiest people she knew were diabetics. Why? Because
they were extremely conscientious about monitoring their
blood sugar, eating healthy, staying physically active,
keeping tabs on high blood pressure, and lowering high
cholesterol. Today, people with diabetes can live long and
healthy lives by working with their health care providers to
develop a care plan that helps keep blood sugar under
control. There is no one "diabetic" diet. Each diabetic
health care plan is worked out individually in accordance to
the individual's needs.
According to Israel, unless people take steps to treat
the condition, most individuals diagnosed as "pre-diabetic"
will go on to become full blown diabetics within 10 years.
Making some simple lifestyle changes can delay or prevent
the onset of diabetes. Begin by losing 5 to 10 percent of
body weight (i.e. 10 to 20 lbs.) and increasing exercise to
30 minutes per day. You don't have to "go on a diet" or be
overly restrictive concerning the foods you eat. It isn't
healthy to eliminate an entire food group such as
meats/protein or the grain group/carbohydrates. A healthy
weight is based on eating foods from all food groups over
the course of the day. Begin by simply cutting back on the
amount of food you eat. Limit fried and high-fat fast foods
to occasional meals, rather than several times a week. As
you fill your plate with smaller portions, add more "color".
This means eating more fruits and vegetables, which are
higher in nutrients and fiber, and lower in calories. The
"new" American plate is designed for health, and includes
one-fourth meat, one-fourth starch (potato, rice, or pasta),
and one-half "color" (fruits & vegetables).
Make your beverage of choice water, rather than regular
or sugar-free soft drinks, tea, or coffee. Did you realize
Americans consume 500% more soft drinks today than we did 50
years ago? Some individuals, especially adolescents, get as
much 11 percent or more of their calories from soft drinks.
Teaming up dietary changes with increased physical activity will speed up the process of lowering blood sugar, and help delay or prevent diabetes. Research indicates that the recommendation of 30-minutes of exercise most days of the week can be broken down and done in 10-minute blocks of time. Most of us can find time in the morning, over lunch break, and after work for a brisk 10-minute walk to achieve the 30-minutes per day. Health advisors indicate that physical activity should include both aerobic exercises (i.e. walking) as well as exercises to build strength (i.e. lifting dumbbell weights). Strength training has been shown to improve blood sugar levels and help attain and maintain a healthy body weight. Find ways to begin incorporating more physical activity in your day for better health.
Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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