Type 2 Diabetes Debate

The American Diabetes Association (2004) defines diabetes as a subset of metabolic diseases associated with hyperglycemia secondary to insulin failing to release, act, or both. Complications related to chronic diabetes can be detrimental to one’s health including but not limited to: heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, amputations, blindness, and other optical diseases. Furthermore, the prevalence of diabetes is rising at an astronomical rate within the United States as well as internationally. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016) an estimated 29 million people suffer with diabetes and 86 million are prediabetic within the United States (US). Without major interventions from the healthcare community,

Type II diabetes mellitus (DM), also referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is a relative, rather than absolute, deficiency of insulin (ADA, 2004). It is global problem and has been identified as one of the “most challenging contemporary threats to public health” (Schauer et al., 2012). One is at risk for developing type II diabetes if they are overweight, over the age of 45, have a relative with type II diabetes, are sedentary, gave birth to a baby over 9 pounds, or had gestational diabetes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016).

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes which affects 90% to 95% of the population. In the United States, approximately 1.7 million new cases of diabetes were identified in 2012 and the disease affects 29 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the population (Statistics About Diabetes, 2014). In 2012, the total financial burden of diabetes was estimated to be $245 billion which included $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity (American Diabetes Association, 2013). Those who have type 2 diabetes are unable to control insulin levels resulting in a condition called insulin resistance. In the first stages of the disease your body attempts to

It is estimated that a change in lifestyle could reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes by 28-59 percent (British Dietetic Association, 2010). Regular exercise can increase glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and can improve blood pressure and HDL cholesterol. With the promotion of exercise, weight losers can preserve muscle. Muscle contributes to at least 50-70 percent of energy expenditure confirming that regular exercise is vital to keeping weight loss. A regular exercise routine is also important in increasing the amount of sleep and the quality of sleep received. A stunted sleep duration is a cause of growth in body mass index as well as obesity (Scandinavian 2010). Finnish Diabetes Prevention study states that at least four hours of exercise weekly assisted by a healthy nutritional regiment and weight loss is effective in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes which affects 90% to 95% of the population. In the United States, approximately 1.7 million new cases of diabetes were identified in 2012 and the disease affects 29 million Americans or 9.3 percent of the population (Statistics About Diabetes, 2014). In 2012, the total financial burden of diabetes was estimated to be $245 billion which included $176 billion in direct medical costs and $69 billion in reduced productivity (American Diabetes Association, 2013). Those who have type 2 diabetes are unable to control insulin levels resulting in a condition called insulin resistance. In the first stages of the disease your body

“If someone has Type 2 Diabetes their pancreas may not produce enough insulin or their cells resist the effects of insulin, and in extreme cases it may be a combination of both”. (AuthorSTREAM) Currently there are about 29.1 million people in the United States that have diabetes; 8.1 million of whom may be undiagnosed and/or unaware of their condition. For adults twenty years old or older, statistics say one in every ten people suffers from diabetes; in age sixty-five and older, statistics say that figure rises to more than one in four.

Many people suffer from type 2 diabetes, a type of metabolic disease (Curry et al., 2015; Hawley & Gibala, 2012). The prevalence of this disease has been increasing; one reason for this increase could be increased consumption of food as well as decreased prevalence of physical activity (Hawley & Gibala, 2012). Patients with type 2 diabetes are not able to metabolise glucose properly (Curry et al., 2015). Type 2 diabetes can cause patients to be very thirsty, excessively weary, and to experience a broad variety of other symptoms (Tovi & Engfeldt, 1998). It is often treated with insulin in order to help the body metabolise glucose (Tovi & Engfeldt, 1998). However, taking insulin can result in weight gain (Tovi & Engfeldt, 1998). Fat of the abdomen can be an indicator of the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease in an individual with type 2 diabetes, which is heavily correlated with type 2 diabetes (Siren, Eriksson, & Vanhanen, 2012). In terms of lifestyle choices, type 2 diabetes patients are often told to focus on diet, but are also encouraged to increase frequency of physical activity (Alvarez et al., 2016; Hawley & Gibala, 2012). Physical activity has been shown to decrease the amount of deaths resulting from diabetes related causes (Church et al., 2004). Increased physical activity has been shown to help glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes (Curry et al., 2015). People who suffer

Diabetes mellitus type 2, also know as type 2 Diabetes or noninsulin dependent diabetes, is a disease that effects the body systemically. Type 2 diabetes is a disorder in which cells become resistant to insulin and can no longer bind it properly to reduce blood sugar. The result of this is elevated glucose levels in the circulating blood that leads to endothelial injury in all regions of the body. Primary damages occur in the kidneys, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. According to “Annual Number of New Cases of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Adults” (2015), the overall incidence of type 2 diabetes was approximately 1.4 million new cases. From previous years this number has decreased; however, it can be further lowered with proper education, change in the Western diet, and increase in physical activity. In 2012 approximately 27.7 million Americans were living with Type 2 diabetes. The cumulative cost of care for American diabetes patients was 245 billion dollars, which encompasses medical treatment cost and the patients’ inability to work, ultimately resulting in decreased personal production (“Statistics About Diabetes”, n.d.). As exemplified by the National Institutes for Health (2015), “Diabetes is a lifelong disease and there is no cure.” Even though no cure is present, lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, play a role in self-regulation of blood glucose levels.

Type 2 Diabetes is often associated with obesity and insulin resistance, which prevent insulin from working effectively. Common complications include cardiovascular disease, vision damage, and kidney disease (“Type 2 diabetes”, 2017). This form of diabetes is a significant public health problem, moreover, it is estimated to affect 285 million adults worldwide. Although there are recommended guidelines to manage and prevent the complication of the disease

Just about every five minutes two people die of diabetes related causes and 16 people are newly diagnosed with the disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). Diabetes is becoming an increasingly prevalent disease, especially type 2, due to the fact that the United States population is at high risk for obesity. Type 2 diabetes is when the pancreas suffers a decline in beta cell efficiency therefore disallowing insulin to be produced at the level necessary for its metabolic function (CDC, 2015). As the incidence of diabetes increases, a positive correlation can be observed in increased risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2012), in the 2011 population of people diagnosed with diabetes there were five million people with coronary artery disease, about two million who had a stroke, about 4 million diagnosed with another heart disease or condition, and about eight million diagnosed with heart disease or who have had a stroke. A person with diabetes is twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease than a person who does not have diabetes (National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse [NDIC], 2005). The numbers of people being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease due to increased risk from already having diabetes is alarming and is a major burden of diabetes. Having diabetes affects the patient in many ways but the addition of cardiovascular disease only complicates the disease and the management of it for the

Coming to a thorough understanding of the role and importance of proper nutrition for people with type 2 diabetes in the United States requires scientists, medical researchers, nutritionists, dietitians, advocacy groups, and government representatives searching for appropriate solutions in fighting against type 2 diabetes and its expanding growth within the population. (Ellie Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes, 2013)

Diabetes is a chronic disease that severely effects the lives of patients suffering from it. Diabetes occurs when the body’s blood glucose levels are too high (1). There are two main types of Diabetes known as type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce the adequate amounts of insulin, and patients with type 1 require daily insulin replacement in order to survive (Martini et al 2015 p. 664). Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type of diabetes, is often correlated with obesity. The body is able to produce the normal amounts of insulin, but the tissues in the body do not respond appropriately. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by medication and weight loss, but like type 1, it cannot be cured

According to Meng, Chunyan, Xiaosheng, Xiangren (2018), diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by inherited and/or acquired deficiency in production of insulin by the pancreas or by the ineffectiveness of the insulin produced. The first WHO Global report on diabetes suggested that the most-to-date number of adults living with diabetes is 422 million, which has almost quadrupled since 1980. This dramatic rise is largely due to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the factors driving it include overweight and obesity (para. 1).

Diabetes Overview - While modern lifestyles and medical care have certainly improved the longevity of humans in the developed world, and contributed to a greater quality of life scenario, those same lifestyles have engendered a number of issues that contribute to disease. Lack of proper diet, fast food, high fat and carbohydrate diets without adequate fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol contribute to an epidemic of obesity which, in turn, contributes to a serious metabolic disorder called Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. While not managed by insulin injections, it is nevertheless quite serious and has a number of progressing symptoms that, if not treated properly, can result in cardiovascular, renal and neurological problems, as well as amputation, ocular issues, and even cognitive dysfunction.

Over the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of individuals being affected by diabetes and this raises concerns among us as to why it happens and how we can prevent it. We all have some common misconceptions about this metabolic disease, like thinking that it is purely induced by the over consumption of sugar or a sedentary lifestyle. While these are very strong contributing factors to the development of some types of diabetes, they are not the real source of the disease.