A few days ago, a very smart consultant was giving me advice regarding my book SUGAR SHOCK!, and he mentioned that he’d recently been diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes.
What he next said surprised me. He said that up until recently, he wasn’t aware of just how dangerous diabetes can be. In fact, he’d many people, and even doctors, being very nonchalant about it and therefore had no idea of its potentially deathly implications.
I’m baffled.
The American Diabetes Association does a magnificent job getting the word out about this disease (even if I don’t agree with their lenient stance on sugar and artificial sweeteners).
These days, I thought everyone — or at least most intelligent, aware adults — knew that diabetes is deadly.
So, please, wake up Americans!
Diabetes can cut your life short — there’s no doubt about it.
If left unchecked, you could get a heart attack. You could go blind. One of your legs might require amputation. The list goes on and on.
There’s a reason why I’m so insistent on telling the world about the importance of losing weight, exercising and the horrific dangers of overconsuming sweets, which could lead to diabetes and other blood sugar related conditions.
But, as I’ve reported here many times, if you make lifestyle changes, you could keep your diabetes under control. This means you need to exercise and eat right — including cutting out (or at least curtailing) those culprit carbs and adding lots of veggies, some fruits and quality proteins and fats.
So, please get educated about diabetes, my fellow Americans — especially those of you who are overweight or obese.
To help out those of you unaware of diabetes dangers, here’s some vital information from the American Diabetes Association, dubbed "The Dangerous Toll of Diabetes."
"Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, but people with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and lower the risk of complications.
"…There are an estimated 20.8 million people in the United States, or 7.0% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million people are not aware that they have the disease."
More and more, as our kids and adults take in more sugary beverages and quickie-carb crap, type 2 diabetes is becoming commonplace, too, which, I find, incredibly scary.
"1 in 3 Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. Each day, approximately 4,110 people are diagnosed with diabetes. In 2005 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people age 20 years or older."
This important ADA fact sheet also points out that diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States.
"Since 1987 the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined."
"Many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of its life-threatening complications such as:
- Heart Disease and Stroke
- High Blood Pressure
- Blindness
- Kidney Disease
- Nervous System Damage
- Amputations
- Dental Disease
- Pregnancy Complications
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Others"
Please, if you are overweight or obese or you eat lots of refined carbs such as pasta, soda and other sweets, go to your doctor and find out if you have diabetes. Then, if you don’t need insulin, embark upon some vital prevention tactics:
- Lose weight
- Exercise regularly
- Cut out or cut back on those culprit carbs
- Keep tight control of your blood sugar
- Take your insulin, if required
See the ADA fact sheet for more important info about diabetes.