Weight Management Information and Ideas

Diabetes Factoids

There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational.

Type 1

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune response where your body destroys or attacks the cells of your pancreas that produce insulin.
• Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, needed for glucose (sugar) to enter the cells of your body and produce energy.
• Without insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells and is forced to enter the bloodstream. This increases your blood glucose level and ultimately leads to the starvation of your cells.
• Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, and is sometimes referred to as diabetes mellitus.

Type 2

• Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body fails to properly use the insulin your pancreas produces. Much like type 1, this ultimately leads to a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream.
• This type is caused by a combination of genetics and an unhealthy lifestyle, and is primarily diagnosed in adults over 40.
• Type 2 accounts for 90-95 percent of people with the disease. It should also be noted that in 80 percent of these cases obesity is a main causative factor.
• Many people are diagnosed with pre-diabetes before type 2. Pre-diabetes is detected through initial blood glucose tests that indicate levels are irregular. During this stage patients can change their lifestyle and actually prevent the onset of diabetes.
• According to the American Diabetes Association, statistics show that 30-minutes a day of physical activity and a 5-10 percent decrease in body weight can reduce the occurrence of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent!

Gestational

• Gestational diabetes occurs in 4% of pregnant women and usually disappears post pregnancy. Women who have gestational diabetes typically have a higher risk of developing type 2 later in life.

General

• If gone untreated diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart and vessel disease, neurological damage, impotence in men, increased risk of birth defects, and gastrointestinal disturbances.
• Currently, 18.2 million Americans, or 6.3 percent of the population have diabetes.
• Diabetes is recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the US.
• Diabetes patients should stick to a well-balanced diet consisting of fruits and veggies, dairy products, whole grain cereal and breads, and protein products like meat, eggs, and nuts.
• Exercise is great for people with diabetes. Moderate activity can improve the body’s use of insulin, lower blood pressure, protect against heart and vessel disease, and much more.

*Sources for this info include the American Diabetes Association, the Cleveland Clinic, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases of the National Institute of Health, and Jeanette Waite, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., weight management coordinator at the Mercy HEART Center