Reflective Renewal: Day 3: Looking at the Whole Picture: Some Food for Thought

The more I learn, the more I'll share. In this blog post I will try to provide more details about diabetes and obesity.

What is diabetes?

• Diabetes “is a condition in which a person has a high blood sugar (glucose) level, either because the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or because body cells don’t properly respond to the insulin that is produced.” Insulin is an important hormone that is manufactured in the pancreas and enables the body to absorb glucose, which is then turned into energy. Improperly absorbed glucose accumulates in the blood and leads to other complications.

• There are two main types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes results when the body fails to produce enough insulin. This type of diabetes occurs most often during childhood or adolescence and causes high blood sugar when your body can't make enough insulin on its own.

• Type 2 diabetes results from resistance to insulin. Resistance often means that your body does not have the ability to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in the normal, healthy range. When this happens, the sugar in your blood rises to high levels.

• Diabetes has long-term effects

• Long-term effects: Over an extended period of time, high blood sugar levels and diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, leg and foot amputations, and pregnancy complications.

The Relationship between Diabetes and Obesity

• Relationship between diabetes and obesity: Many sources have reported that Type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity and physical inactivity. People who are overweight have a much greater likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes than people whose weight falls into the normal range.

• Type 2 diabetes is preventable. Changes in lifestyle that include diet and physical activity of moderate intensity can help to reduce your chances of developing diabetes. Some sources say that managing your weight is the best thing you can do to prevent development of diabetes.

• If you already have diabetes, you can focus on overall health by choosing foods wisely, exercising regularly, and reducing your stress level, among other things. Some studies have shown that Small amounts of weight loss can decrease the amount of medication you need to keep your blood sugar in the healthy range. “Overall better nutrition, physical activity, and control of blood glucose levels can delay the progression of diabetes and prevent complications,” according to the Obesity Society.