Is Obesity Causing The Diabetes Epidemic In This Country?
Increasing numbers of people are developing type two diabetes here in the United States. Approximately sixteen million people in this country are diabetic, yet not all of them are aware of it. With type two diabetes the body either stops producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of the body do not react to it. Diabetes is a disease that medical experts do not yet fully understand. Yet there is plenty of evidence to suggest a strong link between the prevalence of obesity and the diabetes epidemic. A Brief Overview Of The Disease In order to understand the link between obesity and the diabetes epidemic it is necessary to know what the disease entails. The hormone insulin is made by the pancreas. Its function is to help glucose reach the cells. With diabetes the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin and/or the cells no longer react to the hormone. Instead the glucose stays in the bloodstream and the cells are starved. High blood sugar levels can cause hyperglycemia which can lead to seizures, coma and death. It can also cause damage to the nerves, kidneys, heart, eyes, skin and feet. If left untreated diabetes can kill and in fact it is the seventh biggest cause of death in the United States. People who are born diabetic have type one diabetes. People who become diabetic later on have type two diabetes. Although medical experts are no exactly sure what causes type two diabetes they think that genetics, race and age play a role. African Americans, Hispanics and Native American Indians are more prone to type two diabetes than other races. People with a diabetic relative are also thought more susceptible, as are people over the age of forty-five. Being Too Heavy Increases Your Risk How are obesity and the diabetes epidemic linked? More research is needed in order to understand the correlation between obesity and the diabetes epidemic. However, according to statistics ninety percent of all people in the industrialized world who develop type two diabetes have high BMI. People with excess abdominal fat are especially prone to type two diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle is also thought to increase the risk of developing the disease. If statistics are anything to go by, there definitely is a correlation between obesity and the diabetes epidemic. How To Avoid It There is no known cure for diabetes, but it can be controlled and avoided. Since we know that there is a link between obesity and the diabetes epidemic, it is reasonable to assume that you will reduce your risk of getting it if you make smarter choices when it comes to food. If you don't want to get type two diabetes stop eating junk and instead consume more fresh whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, lean fish and whole grains. You should also make the effort to include more physical activity in your daily routine. With exercise and a calorie controlled diet you should be able to get down to a healthy BMI. However, if you need a little help you may wish to consider obesity treatment such as gastric bypass surgery or prescription weight loss medication. Treatment can augment your weight loss efforts so that you slim down faster than you would otherwise have done. One thing is for certain, as long as the developed world has a problem with obesity the diabetes epidemic will continue.
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