What is the new epidemic across America that
is causing obesity, heart problems, and death?
According to
American Diabetes Association, about 75 million Americans have diabetes or
pre-diabetes. The U.S. population is almost up to 300 million, so that means
one in four Americans are becoming diabetic.
There are two types of diabetes; type 1 is
genetic, and usually found in someone before the age of twelve. Type 2 however
is caused by a poor diet that focuses on sugars and carbohydrates, which turn
into sugar. The American Diabetes Association has found that type 2 is on an
increasing rise especially as it is beginning to affect younger and younger
individuals.
Both
types of diabetes deal with the pancreas. Type 1 the pancreas stops working on
its own, whereas with type 2 you are causing the pancreas to stop working
because you have overworked it from lack of nutrition in your diet, and over
excess of sugar and processed foods.
Your
Pancreas naturally creates insulin, so type 1 has to be supplied insulin. While
type 2 can be healed with change of diet completely, type 2 is controlled
mostly with pills that help to maintain a flow of insulin that is vital in the
pancreas. Both of the types of diabetes must do regular blood sugar level checks
by a prick of the finger.
“I
can eat sugars, but you have to be careful,” Jordan Wagner, a freshman at SPU,
was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of five. His greatest role model
growing up with diabetes was his uncle who just recently passed away after
suffering from type 1 diabetes. Wagner day to day consists of maintaining is
pump that controls his blood sugar levels. The insulin is injected after every
meal and helps keep it steady throughout the day. If there is ever a lack of
insulin or not enough achieved Wagner can suffer from “flu-like symptoms” that
alert his body that he is in dire need of insulin.
Wagner
wants to make people aware of what diabetes is all about and the importance of
awareness. “Its important to research something before you make an assumption,
because someone with type 1, first of all does not cause this, but also can
help keep the diabetes under control by staying healthy and being in shape.”
One
important thing Wagner says to remember is, “Sugar is not bad, but people
greatly abuse it.”
Although
Wagner genetically acquired diabetes, there is still type 2 that is a concern
for the youth of our nation and the epidemic of sugary, fatty, and processed
foods.
There
are two main ways to decrease or eliminate the chance of ever dealing with type
2 diabetes and that is to maintain a healthy diet of low sugar intake, maintain
the fatty and “packaged” foods, and stick with the foods that come from the
earth. The other important thing that goes hand in hand with a healthy diet is
maintaining a high amount of daily exercise. Overall creating a healthy
lifestyle of a balance of food and exercise can not only eliminate your chance
of suffering from type 2 diabetes, but it can lead to change in the epidemic of
diabetes, obesity, and death from these in America.
