Type 2 diabetes currently affects about 27 million Americans and is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the nation. A recent report published by UnitedHealth Group's Center for Health Reform & Modernization estimates that over half of the U.S. population will have diabetes or prediabetes by the year 2020! This means that hundreds of millions of people will be at risk of having heart attacks, strokes, erectile dysfunction, dementia and early death due to a disease that is preventable and manageable!
Type 2 diabetes is a condition of elevated blood sugar that is closely tied to obesity, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. Now, more than ever, it is vital that lifestyle interventions to lose weight and prevent pre-diabetes from developing into full-blown diabetes are put into action. Medication programs to ensure proper diabetes control are also important, but the majority of people can make moves -- on their own -- to keep this silent killer at bay.
One of my patients, who weighed 525 pounds at the tender age of 29, reversed a 12-year history of type 2 diabetes and got off of insulin and oral hypoglycemics by changing his lifestyle and nutrition with the help of The Pennington Plan for Weight Success, which includes a 5-step motivational strategy for weight loss and health recovery. So don't assume that type 2 diabetes is a 'death sentence'. You will need to make a total lifestyle switch to stay healthy, but at least you will be here to tell the tale!
Diagnosing Diabetes And Determining Your Risk
The blood test most commonly used in the evaluation of diabetes is the fasting plasma glucose test. The test is performed after an overnight or eight-hour fast during the day. Your blood is taken and sent to the lab to measure your glucose levels. The test results indicate whether your blood glucose level is normal, whether you have diabetes, or whether you have impaired glucose tolerance, which we now refer to as 'pre-diabetes.' Pre-diabetes is now more commonly used to emphasize the fact that without some lifestyle and nutrition intervention, the majority of people will go on to develop diabetes.
There is a close link between obesity and diabetes type 2 risk. In fact, the majority of overweight or obese American adults either have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Therefore, weight loss is a good place to start in beating this silent killer. When a person puts on 11 to 16 pounds of body weight, they have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Those who gain 17 to 24 pounds triple their risk.
Losing about 10 percent of your body weight (if you're overweight or obese) can help with insulin sensitivity and blood sugar management. Maintaining an active lifestyle, even by just walking 30 minutes a day, you can increase your body's response to insulin (insulin sensitivity) and reduce your chances of needing medication to manage diabetes.
Not Just Deadly, Diabetes Is Costly As Well
The average, annual healthcare cost for people without diabetes is approximately $4,400. But for people with diabetes, the cost is $11,700. And for diabetes patients with complications, the average annual cost rises to $20,700. Add to this the impact on work productivity and employer costs and the numbers increase considerably.
Some 27 million Americans are known to have diabetes, and a further 67 million are thought to be pre-diabetic. And a good many of these folks don't even know that they have these conditions because type 2 diabetes can hang out with you without showing any symptoms at all. The same is the case with pre-diabetes.
It's time to break free from old programming that says we should eat what we want, when we want in the quantities we want and instead start to nourish our bodies and move our bodies to reclaim our natural state of wellness. And since diabetes follows a progressive course, we must intervene early before it's too late.
Go see your doctor. Find out your fasting blood glucose level and a hemoglobin A1c, which measures the average amount of glucose in the blood over a three month period. It's also wise to know your entire cholesterol profile, including total HDL, LDL and VLDL. Don't assume that these numbers aren't trending upward.
It's A Team Effort
You don't need to be in this alone. Studies show that if you have a buddy or family member who is also on the journey to better health you will be more likely to succeed. Accountability is also critical, having a coach can support you with a foundation for success, a structured plan of action that you can follow, and the motivational support you need for continual effort in re-building your life.
For continued support on your path to diabetes prevention and weight success, listen to my radio show, Empowered for Life! for helpful diet and fitness information, live Q&A and more. You may also sign up for a free newsletter on my site for helpful tips and support delivered to your inbox at www.PenningtonEmpowerment.com
About Dr. Pennington
Dr. Andrea Pennington is a respected medical doctor and a leading authority on wellness and prevention. She is the author of The Pennington Plan for Weight Success.
The former medical director for Discovery Health Channel, Dr. Pennington has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Dr. Oz show, the Today Show, CNN and the Early Show on CBS.
References:
American Diabetes Association: www.Diabetes.org
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Follow Andrea Pennington, M.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrAndrea
We feed cows corn to fatten them up, yet for people we call it a healthy vegetable and add it to almost all processed foods? Is anyone surprised at the increase in obese/overweight and diseased people in the U.S.?
www.offthegridmpls.blogspot.com
If you (anyone) really want to know why you're fat, write down every single thing you eat for a week or two.
Then be honest with yourself and completely change your diet. And get up off the couch and take a walk. Your life will improve.
peace
Americans are among the least healthy of industrialized nations. We need to wake up and realize how we are being poisoned in the name of c0rporate profits.
Our healthcare system is among the most expensive in the world, our crappy diet is why.
90% reduction in diabetes and obesity:
Stop eating ALL hfcs
lessen overall sugar, and processed foods in diet
less carbs, more protein and good fats(ie. olive oil and butter)
lots of veggies, especially greens
cut back massively on meat intake, or even better become vegetarian
get consistent, regular aerobic exercise.
work on mental health and emotional issues(often the cause of overeating)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203288.php
http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/04/us-fat-heart-idUSTRE61341020100204
http://www.spacedoc.net/saturated_fat_heart_disease
http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2009/03/04/ajcn.2008.26838.abstract
Fred is correct in his post below about CLA, which is purely derived frm animal sources. Also anti-inflammatory Omega 3 lipids, EPA and DHA, which are solely animal-derived are much more bio-available to human beings than ALA, which is plant-derived.
There's one gigantic flaw in the whole meat is bad argument: it is counter to human evolution, and the fact that our bodies have been evolved to thrive on a diet very high in wild or grass fed animal flesh.
The benefits from "becoming vegetarian" do NOT come from excluding meat. A person who is going to be picky about selecting "healthy" foods is going to make health conscious decisions all day long (not smoking, not drinking too much, getting exercise, etc). Actually when we look at people who give up meat for religious reasons (rather than health reasons) there is a slight disadvantage for the vegetarian.
http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/01/06/vegetarians-and-heart-disease/
This idea that we need to cut back on meat intake is not backed by any science:
http://www.jissn.com/content/1/1/45
No cancer risk with eating meat:
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/157/12/1115.short
http://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2009/03/04/ajcn.2008.26838.abstract
http://www.gnolls.org/1444/does-meat-rot-in-your-colon-no-what-does-beans-grains-and-vegetables/
If you want to lose weight, eat mainly plants, meats sparringly; don't add fats to your foods; don't eat at fast junk places or chain restaurants but a few times a year; get off your can and exercise every day.
I agree completely that all it takes is a good plan and commitment - which I have. I've gone mostly vegetarian since 2/1 and have dropped 10 lbs. I feel fabulous.
New ideas suggest that breast feeding may be the key to both overweight and underweight problems. It may set up a blood pressure pattern for life.
The idea is that the lack of at least one year of breast feeding for infants is causing both overweight and underweight problems across the world.
Weaning sets up a food in and waste out pattern - probably in the ENS, Enteric Nervous System, that subconsciously programs us for our lives.
If there is not enough breast milk before that weaning period - the infant will be 'hungry' from then on. He will move toward food and become overweight. The overriding emotion is Anger.
If the weaning is too soon such that the child's digestion system can't handle the new non-breast milk, solids, then the child will always be 'too full' (of food he can't yet digest) from then on. He will move away from food and become underweight. The overriding emotion is Fear.
This should be easy to test. Those with weight problems should be infants that were NOT breast fed for one year.
"Before 1900, most mothers breastfed their infants. Breastfeeding rates declined sharply worldwide after 1920, when evaporated cow's milk and infant formula became widely available. " - faqs.org
and the fact that suburbs are designed to be accessed by automobile and do not provide sufficient and safe walking/ exercise paths, unless you pay for it, again reinforcing the idea that healthy living is expensive.
You can buy healthy food at your regular grocery store and spend a whole lot less than eating crap from the drive-throughs.
Here's a hint: when grocery shopping, shop mostly from the outside edge of the store rather than the interior which is mostly processed foods.
And oatmeal is cheap and fast/easy to make and is a very good, nutritious food to eat every day. McDs and Starbucks will muck it up and make you pay through the nose for it.
not all type 2s are so because of lifestyle choices. not all type 2s are overweight.
I also stated that the medical establishment is contributing to this epidemic by ignoring the very clear science of insulin-resistance. I recommended that Gary Taubes's books "Why we get fat" and "Good Calories, Bad Calories" be required reading in every school in the country (particularly medical school!) My family has benefited immensely by our understanding of our familial genetic insulin-resistance. After 20 years of following the conventional wisdom of a low-fat diet, my health and that of my siblings and children was terrible and deteriorating each year. 11 years ago, we began to investigate the science behind carbohydrate restriction and all have see immense health improvements. We have all escaped the sad fate that befell our father and grandfather.
I only wish the same for everyone else with this genetic condition. Replace dietary carbohydrate with fats and and a moderate amount of protein because they don't require insulin for the cells to utilize as energy. This is sound and crucial advice.
I hope this makes it past the censors.
See, no offense, but this is why our country is getting sicker.
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/08/20/4274/the-dangers-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup/
BUT I am sure there is a lobby for HFCS they probably get Government subsidies and they make somebody, probably Monsanto a LOT Of money
it makes you insulin resistant, it damages your liver, probably is responsible for high rates of ADD, can give you cirrhosis.
We need a campaign to educate the medical establishment, media, and average citizen about insulin-resistance and the need to reduce dietary carbohydrate.
Make "Why we get fat" and "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes required reading in every school in this country (especially medical school!).
My family figured this all out 11 years ago and have been saved from becoming part of the alarming statistics quoted in this article.