When will Americans wake up and change their sugary, sedentary ways?
In case you’re wondering I’m so morose, just check out this latest news:
A whopping one-third of Americans — or 73 million Americans — either already have diabetes or they’re on their way to getting it, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care, the peer-reviewed journal published by the American Diabetes Association.
While the news is quite alarming, I believe that the figure stated is low. I contend that more than 73 million Americans have dangerous blood sugar conditions such as diabetes, pre-diabetes and hypoglycemia, which I collectively refer to as "SUGAR SHOCK!"
…Anyhow, back to the Diabetes Care study.
Specifically, researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 19.3 million people (9.3 percent of adults aged 20 and older) had diabetes in 1999-2002.
They also found that the number of people diagnosed with the disease has risen — from 5.1 percent between 1988-1994 to 6.5 percent of the population from 1999-2002. (The number of undiagnosed people remained the same — at 2.8%.)
Meanwhile, in addition to the number of diabetics increasing, the researchers discovered that another 26 percent of American adults had "impaired fasting glucose (IFG)," a form of pre-diabetes that’s generally considered a precursor to diabetes.
(If you have pre-diabetes, it means your glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Unless you change your diet and lifestyle, pre-diabetes often leads to diabetes within a decade.)
What’s incredibly alarming is that — as we’ve been hearing repeatedly — in many cases, people can stop diabetes in its tracks.
Bear in mind that I’m referring to the 95 percent of people with the disease who have type 2 diabetes, which means they experience a loss of insulin production and sensitivity that’s usually linked to overweight and obesity.
The study’s lead author pointed out as much.
"Despite the fact that we now know how to prevent type 2 diabetes in many cases — through lifestyole changes that include weight loss and increased physical activity — we continue to see this disease climb," Dr. Catherine Cowie, director of the diabetes epidemiology program at NIDDK,said in prepared statement.
You have to credit the ADA’s Robert Rizza, M.D. — president of the Medicine & Science division — for rightly admitting, "Obviously, we aren’t doing enough to convince people they need to make changes in their lives."
What gives? Why aren’t Americans getting the message?
As Dr. Rizza pointed out, "Diabetes is a chronic and often debilitating disease that can cut short your life. The fact that we know how to prevent type 2 diabetes and we’re still seeing this kind of increase is devastating."
Please, folks, take care of yourselves now before it’s too late!
Are you overweight? Hooked on sweets and refined carbs? Suffering other mysterious symptoms. Let us help you.
Join my free, online, KickSugar support group now.
lete