Health Matters by Linda Franke
November is Diabetes Awareness Month
(and Diabetes is Preventable)
What is diabetes?
Nearly 29.1 million Americans have diabetes, a serious disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal. Most people with diabetes have type 2, which used to be called adult-onset diabetes. At one time, type 2 diabetes was more common in people over age 45. But now more young people, even children, have the disease because many are overweight or obese.
Diabetes can lead to problems such as heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney disease, and nerve damage. One out of four people do not know they have diabetes. Many people do not find out they have diabetes until they are faced with problems such as blurry vision or heart trouble. That is why you need to know if you are at risk for diabetes.
What is prediabetes?
An estimated 86 million Americans over age 20 have prediabetes. Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they usually have prediabetes which means their blood sugars are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be called diabetes. People with prediabetes are more likely to develop diabetes within 10 years and they are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their weight; if they are overweight, that’s 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person. Two keys to success:
· Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week
· Eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and reduce the number of calories you eat per day.
It really is not too difficult to prevent diabetes. To find out more about what things put you at risk, talk to me, your Parish Nurse. I have a test you can take that will tell you if you are at risk for developing diabetes.
Next month: Survive the Holidays without gaining ‘too’ much or ‘Make better choices’ when it comes to food. Yeah, I know…….