Preventing Diabetes for a Healthy Future

Diabetes is a group of diseases defined by increased levels of blood sugar because of defective processing of insulin in the body. The fuel in our bodies is blood sugar, formally referred to as blood glucose. In normal bodies the pancreas produces insulin to assist blood sugar in entering the cells. For diabetics, the body does not make insulin or is unable to use the insulin it produces, causing high level blood sugar. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 14.6 million people diagnosed with diabetes today. As a result, more information than even before is available about types of diabetes and ways to prevent or control diabetes for a healthy future.

Types of Diabetes

Various categories within the group of diabetes diseases include Type 1, gestational and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes affects about ten percent of diabetics and is often referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. For Type 1 diabetes, there is no known prevention or cure and people with this disease must take insulin. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy for some women and is carefully monitored by their treating physician. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes will be given a special diet to follow by the doctor for the health of the woman and the baby. Although most women return to normal after having the baby, women who have had gestational diabetes have a 70 percent increased chance of developing Type 2 diabetes during their lifetime.

Type 2 diabetes affects around ninety percent of the diagnosed cases of diabetes and starts with insulin resistance, when the cells fail to properly use insulin. The need for insulin increases until the pancreas starts to lose its ability to produce it. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented and controlled.

Pre-diabetes occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not at a dramatically increased level to be diagnosed as diabetes. Around 41 million people between the ages of 40 and 74 suffer from pre-diabetes and are at a risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, 2 million teens between 12 and 19 have pre-diabetes and the total people with pre-diabetes is 54 million. However, if pre-diabetes is detected in time, people can prevent Type 2 diabetes from developing.

Risk of Getting Diabetes

Basically, all people are at some level of risk for getting Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is basically genetically defined. However, certain types of people are at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, such as:

• folks over 45 years old
• those with a family history of diabetes
• people with impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose
• those who are overweight
• people who do not engage in exercise regularly
• folks with high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol or high tryglycerides

Preventing Diabetes

Since genetics isn't the final answer with regard to whether or not you will develop Type 2 diabetes, what is?

The Diabetes Prevention Program study was recently completed and found that people with pre-diabetes can prevent getting Type 2 diabetes by making dietary changes and increasing their physical activity. In fact, 30 minutes daily of moderate physical activity along with a reduction in body weight of 5 to 10 percent reduced diabetes by 58 percent.

To help prevent Type 2 diabetes, the National Diabetes Educational Program created a national awareness campaign showing that simple lifestyle changes and losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can prevent diabetes.

The president of the American Diabetes Association, Eugene J. Barrett, M.D., states that exercise doesn't mean you have to run in a marathon and that, "...little things like using a step counter and walking and parking farther from where you work can help."

Consider a few easy ways to step up your activity, improve your diet and help prevent diabetes:

• Drink more water – start by replacing your daily soda with water and you will drop a pound in a month.
• Discuss exercise with your doctor and then start by walking 60 minutes, 5 times a week to drop a pound every week.
• Eat smaller portions more frequently, having little meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism going and ward off hunger.
• Avoid fried foods, creamy sauces and rich desserts to stay at a safe weight and avoid elevating your cholesterol level.
• Cook more meals rather than eating fast food so you can control the portions and levels or fat and sugar.
• Consider the basic food pyramid when planning meals and have a balanced representation of all the food groups in your daily diet.
• Handle related health conditions by monitoring heart problems, quitting smoking, eliminating stress and lowering high blood pressure.
• Monitor yourself and visit your doctor and dentist regular to check out your feet, teeth and other areas for telltale blisters that may be a sign of diabetes. Report changes to your dental health, eyesight or feet to your doctor immediately.
• Brush and floss daily for optimum oral health because people with diabetes and pre-diabetes product less saliva, which can increase the possibility of tooth decay.

>>Join our Free Diabetes Forum<<