What Is Diabetes Weight Loss Nutrition Tips Guide

What Is Diabetes And Taking Preventative Measures

By Myfawny Craighter

Many people know that sugar and diabetes go hand in hand, but that’s about the extent of most people’s knowledge of what is diabetes. With a healthy person, the body needs glucose in order to function properly, but sometimes it is unable to process the amount of sugar it receives from our diets.

When the body is unable to process sugar efficiently, the person develops diabetes. Recognizing the symptoms of the disease at its earliest onset will help to review your options and effecting the necessary treatment.

Statistics just released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the prevalence of diabetes in the US population is expected to increase by at least twelve percent by 2050.

Taking Preventative Steps To Stop Becoming Another Statistic

This figure becomes daunting when you realize that this represents an estimated 48 million people. However, you do not need to be a part of this statistic if you start eating right and exercising.

There are three types of diabetes mellitus:

Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes

Type 1 - Unable To Produce Insulin

Type 1 diabetes is the type of diabetes where the body is unable to produce any of the insulin it needs to function. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease; that is, the body is turning on itself.

With Type 1 diabetes, it does this by destroying the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Once these cells are destroyed, the body can no longer produce insulin. Persons with Type 1 diabetes have to take insulin daily for the rest of their lives.

Type 1 diabetes used to be known as juvenile diabetes because it is found most frequently in children and young adults.

Type 2 - The Body Produces Some Insulin

This was formerly referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but even children can have type 2 diabetes. With this type of diabetes, the body produces some insulin, but not as much as it needs to regulate sugar levels.

Gestational Diabetes In Pregnant Women

This type of diabetes only affects pregnant women, hence, the name. It normally occurs late in a pregnancy and results from the hormonal changes taking place.

Knowing The Signs And Taking Preventative Action

Knowing what is diabetes and the number of indicators of who may develop diabetes during their life, may help you see the early stages of the disease and take preventative action.

Some of these indicators include being obese, your race, your gender, and your age. Your physical fitness also plays a part, as how active you are will help determine your weight. People who exercise are less likely to develop diabetes than those who are sedentary.

Main Symptoms Of Diabetes

Increased thirst and hunger
Increasing need to urinate and increased quantity of urine produced
Blurry vision
Minor cuts and scratches take longer to heal than usual
Losing weight without any apparent reason
Being constantly tired

Main Methods Of Treatment Of Diabetes

medication (primarily insulin)
controlling and lowering your blood pressure
lowering your cholesterol levels (especially LDL)
exercising
losing weight

Getting a diagnosis of diabetes can be difficult and knowing what is diabetes, but remember that with current medical advances, the outlook is better than ever. Diabetes, while serious, is controllable with a proper diet, exercise, and following your doctor’s orders. Taking steps to change the factors you can control that lead to developing diabetes, is the first step to a healthier and long life.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

This Article was about What Is Diabetes?

About the Author:
Myfawny Craighter is an author of articles on health, exercise, dieting, weight loss and nutrition including Health Fitness, Weight Loss Success, Total Fat, Acid Diet, Binge Eating.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.

Did You Know?

Right now the number one preventable death is cancer caused by smoking. The second most preventable death is complications related to obesity. Being fat is not just a punch line of a joke anymore. People spend millions each year on gym memberships and fad diets in the hopes of losing that excess weight.

The sad fact is that most will fail at their dieting attempts. Some will turn to surgery and others will struggle to survive. If you are overweight and having health issues related to your weight, you need help.