Diabetes – Nutrition – Education
American Diabetes Association – Food
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC)
What Is Diabetes Mellitus and Why Is It an Epidemic?
Diabetes mellitus (Mellitus is Latin for “honey-sweet,” which is what the blood and urine of a person with diabetes might be, due to the increased amount of glucose), or diabetes, is becoming so common that it would be rare if you didn’t know someone who has it. An estimated 23.6 million American adults-more than 7.8 percent of the population-have diabetes. Recall that the hormone insulin directs glucose into the cells to be used as immediate energy or stored in another form for later use. Individuals develop diabetes because they aren’t producing enough insulin and/or they have developed insulin resistance, such that their cells do not respond to the insulin when it arrives In essence, insulin is available in the blood, but the cells’ decreased sensitivity interferes with its ability to work properly. Hence, the bloodstream is flooded with glucose that can’t get into the cells. In this situation, the body thinks that it must be fasting and shifts into fasting mode. The liver begins the process of breaking down its glycogen stores (glycogenolysis) and making glucose from noncarbohydrate sources (gluconeogenesis) in an attempt to provide the glucose for its cells. This floods the blood with even more glucose. Eventually, the level of glucose builds up in the blood and some of it spills over into the urine and leaves the body. At the same time, the body has called on its energy reserve; fat, to be used as fuel. The body needs glucose in order to thoroughly burn fat; otherwise, it makes ketone bodies. In poorly managed diabetes, when glucose is unable to get into the cells, acidic ketone bodies build up in the blood to dangerous levels, causing diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis can cause nausea and confusion, and in some cases, if left untreated, could result in coma or death. (Note: Although ketosis can develop in individuals who are fasting or consuming a lowcarbohydrate diet, ketoacidosis only occurs when insulin is lacking in the body. Ketosis is not the same as diabetic ketoacidosis, nor is it life-threatening.
There Are Several Forms of Diabetes
All forms of diabetes involve insulin and unregulated blood glucose levels. Some are due to insulin resistance, as just described, and others are due to a lack of insulin production. Still another form occurs only during pregnancy. The most prevalent types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease and is the rarer of the two forms. It usually begins in childhood and the early adult years and is found in 5 to 10 percent of the individuals with diabetes in the United States. The immune system of type 1 diabetics actually destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, constant blurred vision, hunger, weight loss, and fatigue are common, as the glucose can’t get into the cells of the body. These were many of the symptoms that Adam, the hockey player that you read about in the beginning of the chapter, was experiencing and are what prompted the doctor to have his blood analyzed. If not treated with insulin, the person is susceptible to the dangers of ketoacidosis. Individuals with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin every day in order to live a normal life.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of diabetes and is seen in people who have become insulin resistant. It accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diagnoses of the disease. Being overweight increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes typically produce insulin but have become insulin resistant. After several years of exhausting their insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, their production of insulin decreases to the point where they have to take medication and/or insulin to manage their blood glucose level.
One of the major problems with type 2 diabetes is that this condition can go undiagnosed for some time. While some people may have symptoms such as increased thirst, others may not. Consequently, diabetes can silently damage a person’s vital organs without his or her being aware of it. Because of this, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that everyone 45 years of age and older undergo testing for diabetes.
However, if a person is at a higher risk for developing diabetes, he or she shouldn’t wait until age 45 to be tested. Take the following Self-Assessment to see if you are at risk. Because the hormone insulin is derived from the components of protein, it can’t be taken orally, as it would be broken down in the same manner that other protein containing foods are digested. Therefore, most individuals who need to take insulin have to inject themselves with a syringe. Researchers are continually testing alternative ways for those with diabetes to self-administer insulin. New methods include insulin pens, insulin jet injectors, and insulin pumps. Researcher’s hope that someday those with diabetes will no longer have to use needles to obtain the insulin they critically need.
Prediabetes
A simple blood test at a physician’s office can reveal if a person’s blood glucose is higher than normal and whether he or she has impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. The blood is typically drawn first thing in the morning after fasting overnight for 8 to 12 hours. A fasting blood glucose level of under 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) is considered “negative” and fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dl or higher is considered a “positive” test for diabetes. A reading between 100 mg/dl and 126 mg/dl is classified as prediabetes. Individuals with prediabetes have a blood glucose level that is higher than it should be but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetic. About 57 million people age 20 years and older have prediabetes and are at a higher risk of developing not only diabetes, but also heart disease. When a person is in this prediabetic state, damage may already be occurring to the heart and circulatory system.
Diabetes Can Result in Long-Term Damage
Constant exposure to high blood glucose levels can damage vital organs over time. Diabetes, especially if it is poorly managed, increases the likelihood of a multitude of dire effects, such as nerve damage, leg and foot amputations, eye diseases, including blindness, tooth loss, gum problems, kidney disease, and heart disease. Nerve damage occurs in an estimated 50 percent of individuals with diabetes, and the longer the person has diabetes, the greater the risk for the damage. Numbness in the toes, feet, legs, and hands, as well as changes in bowel, bladder, and sexual function, are all signs of damage to nerves. This nerve damage can affect the ability to feel a change in temperature or pain in the legs and feet. A cut or sore on the foot could go unnoticed until it becomes infected. The poor blood circulation common in those with diabetes can also make it harder for sores or infections to heal. The infection could infiltrate the bone, causing the need for an amputation.
Diabetes can also damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina of the eye, which can cause bleeding and cloudy vision, and eventually destroy the retina and cause blindness. A high blood glucose level can cause tooth and gum problems, including the loss of teeth, and damage to the kidneys. If the kidneys are damaged, protein can leak out into the urine, and at the same time, cause a backup of wastes in the blood. Kidney failure could result.
Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease. The excess amount of fat often seen in the blood in poorly managed diabetes is most probably an important factor in the increased risk of heart disease in those with diabetes. Fortunately, good nutrition habits play a key role in both the prevention and management of diabetes.
Control Is Key
For years, people with diabetes have been advised to keep their blood glucose level under control. In the early 1990s, the research community gathered the evidence to back up that advice. The groundbreaking Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), conducted from 1983 to 1993, involved more than 1,400 people with type 1 diabetes. It showed that controlling the level of blood glucose with an intense regimen of diet, insulin, and exercise, along with monitoring blood sugar levels and routinely visiting health care professionals, slowed the onset of some of the complications of diabetes.
In this study, it was shown that reducing high blood glucose helped lower the risk of eye disease by 76 percent and the risk of kidney and nerve disease by at least percent. However, because some of the individuals in this study experienced bouts of hypoglycemia, this type of intense regimen is not recommended for children under age 13, people with heart disease or advanced complications of heart disease, older people, and those prone to frequent bouts of severe hypoglycemia. For all others, diligent and conscientious management of their blood glucose can minimize the devastating complications of diabetes often seen later in life.
The nutrition and lifestyle goals for individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are the same: to minimize the complications of diabetes by adopting a healthy, well-balanced diet and participating in regular physical activity that maintains a blood glucose level in a normal or close to normal range. The ADA recommends that individuals with diabetes consume a diet that includes a combination of predominantly high-fiber carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with low-fat milk, adequate amounts of lean protein sources, and unsaturated fats.
The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) can be used to classify the effects of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood glucose. The GI refers to the measured upward rise, peak, and eventual fall of blood glucose following the consumption of a carbohydrate-intense food. Some foods cause a sharp spike and rapid fall in blood glucose levels compared with others that cause less of a spike and a more gradual decline. The index ranks high-carbohydrate foods according to their effect on blood glucose levels compared with that of an equal amount of white bread or pure glucose. If a carbohydrate-rich food causes your blood glucose level to produce a curve with a larger area than the standard curve of white bread, the food is considered a high-GI food. A carbohydrate-containing food that produces a smaller blood glucose level curve than that of white bread would be considered a low-GI food. For example, 50 grams of white bread have a glycemic index of 100. A 50-gram portion of kidney beans has a GI of 42, whereas the same amount of puffed wheat cereal has a GI of 105. Consequently, the kidney beans are considered a low-GI food compared with the white bread, while puffed wheat is considered a high-GI food. The problem with use of the GI is that 50 grams of puffed wheat would be more than 4 cups of cereal, an amount that is unlikely to be eaten in one sitting. The glycemic load (GL) adjusts the GI to take into account the amount of carbohydrate consumed in a typical serving of a food, and in the case of puffed wheat cereal would lower its effect on blood glucose dramatically.
Other factors can also affect the GI of a food. Overripe fruits have more easily digested sugar and a higher GI than under ripe ones. Both cooking and food processing change the structure of foods and make them more easily digested, increasing the GI compared with raw, unprocessed equivalents. Larger chunks or bigger particle sizes of food contribute to slower digestion and lower GI than the same foods chopped into smaller pieces. Foods with viscous, soluble fiber tend to be absorbed more slowly so will have a lower GI than refined carbohydrates. In general, whole grains, vegetables, whole fruit, and legumes tend to have a low GI. Lastly, eating carbohydrate-heavy foods with protein and/or fat can also lower the GI.
Whereas monitoring the overall amount of carbohydrate within a healthy diet along with weight management are key factors in managing diabetes, the GI and GL may also modestly help those with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The ADA recommends that individuals with diabetes consume a diet that includes a combination of predominantly high-fiber carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with low-fat milk, monounsaturated fat, and adequate amounts of lean protein sources, which also help control GI.
Though sugar was once thought of as a “diabetic no-no,” it can now be part of a diabetic’s diet. Research has found that eating sucrose doesn’t cause a rise in a person’s blood glucose level to any greater extent than does eating starch, so avoidance of sugar isn’t necessary. However, because weight management is often a concern, especially for type 2 diabetics, there isn’t room for a lot of sweets and treats in a diabetic diet (or anyone’s diet, for that matter).
Cases of Diabetes Are on the Rise
The incidence of adults being diagnosed with diabetes in the United States has more than doubled since the early 1990s. According to the CDC, if this trend continues, it is likely that one-third of Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime, reducing their life expectancy, on average, by 10 to 15 years. More than 200,000 Americans die from diabetic complications annually, and diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Diabetes is not only a deadly disease but also an extremely costly one. Disability insurance payments, time lost from employment, and the medical costs associated with diabetes cost the United States $174 billion annually.
The number of people who have diabetes is not only strikingly high, but it’s rising, particularly among children. Whereas the disease used to be common only in adults, in the last couple of decades there’s been a steady increase among those under age 20.
Children and Diabetes
The rising incidence of overweight and obesity is happening among younger and younger children. Almost 1 in 5 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 19 is obese. Obesity increases the risk factor for type 2 diabetes in children. Type 1 diabetes was formerly the only type of diabetes prevalent in children. In fact, in 1990, less than 4 percent of diabetic children had type 2 diabetes. However, up to 45 percent of the new cases of diabetes in children are the type 2 variety, and of those children, as many as 85 percent are also overweight or obese. Developing diabetes at a younger age means longer exposure to the disease and its medical complications. Early detection is important for effective treatment, and all children who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes should be screened.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Recent research has suggested that shedding some excess weight, exercising regularly, and eating a balanced, high-fiber, healthy diet may be the best strategy to lower the risk of developing diabetes. A landmark study by the Diabetes Prevention Program of more than 3,000 individuals with prediabetes showed that those who made changes in their lifestyle, such as losing weight, exercising 2.5 hours a week, eating a plant based, heart-healthy diet, and meeting with a health professional for ongoing support and education, were 58 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not partake in such intervention. When it comes to winning the battle against diabetes, a healthful diet and lifestyle is the best game plan.
Message
Diabetes is a condition involving inadequate regulation of blood glucose levels. Individuals with type 1 diabetes produce inadequate amounts of insulin. Those with type 2 diabetes have developed insulin resistance. Chronic high blood glucose levels can damage the vital organs of the body, including the heart. Individuals with diabetes need to take medications and/or insulin to manage their blood glucose. A high-fiber diet and routine exercise play important roles in managing and preventing diabetes. Diabetes is becoming more common in children, especially those who are overweight and inactive.
Terms:
Diabetes mellitus – A medical condition whereby an individual either doesn’t have enough insulin or is resistant to the insulin available. This will cause the blood glucose level to rise. Diabetes mellitus is often called diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes – is an autoimmune disease and is rarer than type 2 diabetes, which is seen in those with insulin resistance insulin resistance The inability of the cells to respond to insulin.
Ketoacidosis – The buildup of ketone bodies to dangerous levels, which can result in coma or death.
Impaired glucose tolerance – A condition whereby a fasting blood glucose level is higher than normal (>100 mg/dl), but not high enough (<126 mg/dl) to be classified as diabetes mellitus. Also called prediabetes
(75) Nutrition
What Is Diabetes Mellitus and Why Is It an Epidemic?
Diabetes mellitus (Mellitus is Latin for “honey-sweet,” which is what the blood and urine of a person with diabetes might be, due to the increased amount of glucose), or diabetes, is becoming so common that it would be rare if you didn’t know someone who has it. An estimated 23.6 million American adults-more than 7.8 percent of the population-have diabetes. Recall that the hormone insulin directs glucose into the cells to be used as immediate energy or stored in another form for later use. Individuals develop diabetes because they aren’t producing enough insulin and/or they have developed insulin resistance, such that their cells do not respond to the insulin when it arrives In essence, insulin is available in the blood, but the cells’ decreased sensitivity interferes with its ability to work properly. Hence, the bloodstream is flooded with glucose that can’t get into the cells. In this situation, the body thinks that it must be fasting and shifts into fasting mode. The liver begins the process of breaking down its glycogen stores (glycogenolysis) and making glucose from noncarbohydrate sources (gluconeogenesis) in an attempt to provide the glucose for its cells. This floods the blood with even more glucose. Eventually, the level of glucose builds up in the blood and some of it spills over into the urine and leaves the body. At the same time, the body has called on its energy reserve; fat, to be used as fuel. The body needs glucose in order to thoroughly burn fat; otherwise, it makes ketone bodies. In poorly managed diabetes, when glucose is unable to get into the cells, acidic ketone bodies build up in the blood to dangerous levels, causing diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis can cause nausea and confusion, and in some cases, if left untreated, could result in coma or death. (Note: Although ketosis can develop in individuals who are fasting or consuming a lowcarbohydrate diet, ketoacidosis only occurs when insulin is lacking in the body. Ketosis is not the same as diabetic ketoacidosis, nor is it life-threatening.
There Are Several Forms of Diabetes
All forms of diabetes involve insulin and unregulated blood glucose levels. Some are due to insulin resistance, as just described, and others are due to a lack of insulin production. Still another form occurs only during pregnancy. The most prevalent types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease and is the rarer of the two forms. It usually begins in childhood and the early adult years and is found in 5 to 10 percent of the individuals with diabetes in the United States. The immune system of type 1 diabetics actually destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, constant blurred vision, hunger, weight loss, and fatigue are common, as the glucose can’t get into the cells of the body. These were many of the symptoms that Adam, the hockey player that you read about in the beginning of the chapter, was experiencing and are what prompted the doctor to have his blood analyzed. If not treated with insulin, the person is susceptible to the dangers of ketoacidosis. Individuals with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin every day in order to live a normal life.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of diabetes and is seen in people who have become insulin resistant. It accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diagnoses of the disease. Being overweight increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes typically produce insulin but have become insulin resistant. After several years of exhausting their insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, their production of insulin decreases to the point where they have to take medication and/or insulin to manage their blood glucose level.
One of the major problems with type 2 diabetes is that this condition can go undiagnosed for some time. While some people may have symptoms such as increased thirst, others may not. Consequently, diabetes can silently damage a person’s vital organs without his or her being aware of it. Because of this, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that everyone 45 years of age and older undergo testing for diabetes.
However, if a person is at a higher risk for developing diabetes, he or she shouldn’t wait until age 45 to be tested. Take the following Self-Assessment to see if you are at risk. Because the hormone insulin is derived from the components of protein, it can’t be taken orally, as it would be broken down in the same manner that other protein containing foods are digested. Therefore, most individuals who need to take insulin have to inject themselves with a syringe. Researchers are continually testing alternative ways for those with diabetes to self-administer insulin. New methods include insulin pens, insulin jet injectors, and insulin pumps. Researcher’s hope that someday those with diabetes will no longer have to use needles to obtain the insulin they critically need.
Prediabetes
A simple blood test at a physician’s office can reveal if a person’s blood glucose is higher than normal and whether he or she has impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. The blood is typically drawn first thing in the morning after fasting overnight for 8 to 12 hours. A fasting blood glucose level of under 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) is considered “negative” and fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dl or higher is considered a “positive” test for diabetes. A reading between 100 mg/dl and 126 mg/dl is classified as prediabetes. Individuals with prediabetes have a blood glucose level that is higher than it should be but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetic. About 57 million people age 20 years and older have prediabetes and are at a higher risk of developing not only diabetes, but also heart disease. When a person is in this prediabetic state, damage may already be occurring to the heart and circulatory system.
Diabetes Can Result in Long-Term Damage
Constant exposure to high blood glucose levels can damage vital organs over time. Diabetes, especially if it is poorly managed, increases the likelihood of a multitude of dire effects, such as nerve damage, leg and foot amputations, eye diseases, including blindness, tooth loss, gum problems, kidney disease, and heart disease. Nerve damage occurs in an estimated 50 percent of individuals with diabetes, and the longer the person has diabetes, the greater the risk for the damage. Numbness in the toes, feet, legs, and hands, as well as changes in bowel, bladder, and sexual function, are all signs of damage to nerves. This nerve damage can affect the ability to feel a change in temperature or pain in the legs and feet. A cut or sore on the foot could go unnoticed until it becomes infected. The poor blood circulation common in those with diabetes can also make it harder for sores or infections to heal. The infection could infiltrate the bone, causing the need for an amputation.
Diabetes can also damage the tiny blood vessels in the retina of the eye, which can cause bleeding and cloudy vision, and eventually destroy the retina and cause blindness. A high blood glucose level can cause tooth and gum problems, including the loss of teeth, and damage to the kidneys. If the kidneys are damaged, protein can leak out into the urine, and at the same time, cause a backup of wastes in the blood. Kidney failure could result.
Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease. The excess amount of fat often seen in the blood in poorly managed diabetes is most probably an important factor in the increased risk of heart disease in those with diabetes. Fortunately, good nutrition habits play a key role in both the prevention and management of diabetes.
Control Is Key
For years, people with diabetes have been advised to keep their blood glucose level under control. In the early 1990s, the research community gathered the evidence to back up that advice. The groundbreaking Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), conducted from 1983 to 1993, involved more than 1,400 people with type 1 diabetes. It showed that controlling the level of blood glucose with an intense regimen of diet, insulin, and exercise, along with monitoring blood sugar levels and routinely visiting health care professionals, slowed the onset of some of the complications of diabetes.
In this study, it was shown that reducing high blood glucose helped lower the risk of eye disease by 76 percent and the risk of kidney and nerve disease by at least percent. However, because some of the individuals in this study experienced bouts of hypoglycemia, this type of intense regimen is not recommended for children under age 13, people with heart disease or advanced complications of heart disease, older people, and those prone to frequent bouts of severe hypoglycemia. For all others, diligent and conscientious management of their blood glucose can minimize the devastating complications of diabetes often seen later in life.
The nutrition and lifestyle goals for individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are the same: to minimize the complications of diabetes by adopting a healthy, well-balanced diet and participating in regular physical activity that maintains a blood glucose level in a normal or close to normal range. The ADA recommends that individuals with diabetes consume a diet that includes a combination of predominantly high-fiber carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with low-fat milk, adequate amounts of lean protein sources, and unsaturated fats.
The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) can be used to classify the effects of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood glucose. The GI refers to the measured upward rise, peak, and eventual fall of blood glucose following the consumption of a carbohydrate-intense food. Some foods cause a sharp spike and rapid fall in blood glucose levels compared with others that cause less of a spike and a more gradual decline. The index ranks high-carbohydrate foods according to their effect on blood glucose levels compared with that of an equal amount of white bread or pure glucose. If a carbohydrate-rich food causes your blood glucose level to produce a curve with a larger area than the standard curve of white bread, the food is considered a high-GI food. A carbohydrate-containing food that produces a smaller blood glucose level curve than that of white bread would be considered a low-GI food. For example, 50 grams of white bread have a glycemic index of 100. A 50-gram portion of kidney beans has a GI of 42, whereas the same amount of puffed wheat cereal has a GI of 105. Consequently, the kidney beans are considered a low-GI food compared with the white bread, while puffed wheat is considered a high-GI food. The problem with use of the GI is that 50 grams of puffed wheat would be more than 4 cups of cereal, an amount that is unlikely to be eaten in one sitting. The glycemic load (GL) adjusts the GI to take into account the amount of carbohydrate consumed in a typical serving of a food, and in the case of puffed wheat cereal would lower its effect on blood glucose dramatically.
Other factors can also affect the GI of a food. Overripe fruits have more easily digested sugar and a higher GI than under ripe ones. Both cooking and food processing change the structure of foods and make them more easily digested, increasing the GI compared with raw, unprocessed equivalents. Larger chunks or bigger particle sizes of food contribute to slower digestion and lower GI than the same foods chopped into smaller pieces. Foods with viscous, soluble fiber tend to be absorbed more slowly so will have a lower GI than refined carbohydrates. In general, whole grains, vegetables, whole fruit, and legumes tend to have a low GI. Lastly, eating carbohydrate-heavy foods with protein and/or fat can also lower the GI.
Whereas monitoring the overall amount of carbohydrate within a healthy diet along with weight management are key factors in managing diabetes, the GI and GL may also modestly help those with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The ADA recommends that individuals with diabetes consume a diet that includes a combination of predominantly high-fiber carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, along with low-fat milk, monounsaturated fat, and adequate amounts of lean protein sources, which also help control GI.
Though sugar was once thought of as a “diabetic no-no,” it can now be part of a diabetic’s diet. Research has found that eating sucrose doesn’t cause a rise in a person’s blood glucose level to any greater extent than does eating starch, so avoidance of sugar isn’t necessary. However, because weight management is often a concern, especially for type 2 diabetics, there isn’t room for a lot of sweets and treats in a diabetic diet (or anyone’s diet, for that matter).
Cases of Diabetes Are on the Rise
The incidence of adults being diagnosed with diabetes in the United States has more than doubled since the early 1990s. According to the CDC, if this trend continues, it is likely that one-third of Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime, reducing their life expectancy, on average, by 10 to 15 years. More than 200,000 Americans die from diabetic complications annually, and diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Diabetes is not only a deadly disease but also an extremely costly one. Disability insurance payments, time lost from employment, and the medical costs associated with diabetes cost the United States $174 billion annually.
The number of people who have diabetes is not only strikingly high, but it’s rising, particularly among children. Whereas the disease used to be common only in adults, in the last couple of decades there’s been a steady increase among those under age 20.
Children and Diabetes
The rising incidence of overweight and obesity is happening among younger and younger children. Almost 1 in 5 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 19 is obese. Obesity increases the risk factor for type 2 diabetes in children. Type 1 diabetes was formerly the only type of diabetes prevalent in children. In fact, in 1990, less than 4 percent of diabetic children had type 2 diabetes. However, up to 45 percent of the new cases of diabetes in children are the type 2 variety, and of those children, as many as 85 percent are also overweight or obese. Developing diabetes at a younger age means longer exposure to the disease and its medical complications. Early detection is important for effective treatment, and all children who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes should be screened.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Recent research has suggested that shedding some excess weight, exercising regularly, and eating a balanced, high-fiber, healthy diet may be the best strategy to lower the risk of developing diabetes. A landmark study by the Diabetes Prevention Program of more than 3,000 individuals with prediabetes showed that those who made changes in their lifestyle, such as losing weight, exercising 2.5 hours a week, eating a plant based, heart-healthy diet, and meeting with a health professional for ongoing support and education, were 58 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not partake in such intervention. When it comes to winning the battle against diabetes, a healthful diet and lifestyle is the best game plan.
Message
Diabetes is a condition involving inadequate regulation of blood glucose levels. Individuals with type 1 diabetes produce inadequate amounts of insulin. Those with type 2 diabetes have developed insulin resistance. Chronic high blood glucose levels can damage the vital organs of the body, including the heart. Individuals with diabetes need to take medications and/or insulin to manage their blood glucose. A high-fiber diet and routine exercise play important roles in managing and preventing diabetes. Diabetes is becoming more common in children, especially those who are overweight and inactive.
Terms:
Diabetes mellitus – A medical condition whereby an individual either doesn’t have enough insulin or is resistant to the insulin available. This will cause the blood glucose level to rise. Diabetes mellitus is often called diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes – is an autoimmune disease and is rarer than type 2 diabetes, which is seen in those with insulin resistance insulin resistance The inability of the cells to respond to insulin.
Ketoacidosis – The buildup of ketone bodies to dangerous levels, which can result in coma or death.
Impaired glucose tolerance – A condition whereby a fasting blood glucose level is higher than normal (>100 mg/dl), but not high enough (<126 mg/dl) to be classified as diabetes mellitus. Also called prediabetes
