Diabetes: You Are Not My Type
(Miami, FL) – More than 8 percent of the U.S. population 25.8 million children and adults have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The numbers are staggering, and so is the price tag: an estimated $218 billion was spent in healthcare costs in 2007, factoring in undiagnosed diabetes, pre-diabetes and gestational diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, however, can be prevented.
There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is childhood diabetes, and is generally unavoidable if you are genetically predisposed. On the other hand, type 2, also known as adult-onset diabetes, is often preventable. While it is true that around 50 percent of people with a type 2 diabetic parent will develop type 2 diabetes, there are several steps one can take to be in the “good” 50 percent.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is far and away the most important factor in avoiding type 2 diabetes. This means avoiding high-fat foods, practicing portion control, and especially getting plenty of exercise. If you are an adult with diabetes, these are important habits to instill in your children, since you know they will be at increased risk. Ninety percent of adult-onset diabetics are overweight at the time of diagnosis.
A common mistake is to think that avoiding sugar or carbohydrates is the best way to prevent diabetes. Not true. Certainly, a diet full of candy, soda, and other high-sugar “junk foods” will put on weight and increase the risk of diabetes. However, a diet which includes balanced amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and even some healthy fats is really the best way to go. In fact, even once you are diagnosed with diabetes, losing weight can make it disappear for years or longer.
If you have been told you have diabetes, or are at risk, an online Personal Health Record (PHR) can help individuals be proactive in tracking related information.
A common mistake is to think that avoiding sugar or carbohydrates is the best way to prevent diabetes. Not true. Certainly, a diet full of candy, soda, and other high-sugar “junk foods” will put on weight and increase the risk of diabetes. However, a diet which includes balanced amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and even some healthy fats is really the best way to go. In fact, even once you are diagnosed with diabetes, losing weight can make it disappear for years or longer.
Activ Doctors Online’s Health Tracker, which is included free with the online Personal Health Record (PHR), allows users to keep track of blood sugar, and chart how it changes with diet and weight changes in an easy-to-view format. The chart can be printed out or called up on the physician’s computer at appointments. This can be very helpful in positively reinforcing healthy life choices.