Obesity Can Cause Diabetes
By mdssite | November 23, 2009
The prevalence of diabetes is definitely a major concern in the world today. According to the 2005 survey by the American Diabetes Association, about 20.8 million or 7% of the US population have diabetes. Of this figure, only 14.6 million have been properly diagnosed. Another staggering fact is that 1.5 million cases of pre-diabetes were found to be in young people, with ages 20 years and below.
It has also been found that the growing number of obesity in adolescents and kids is one of the leading causes of the diabetes. This conclusion has also been confirmed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) which reported that obesity is the number one reason of diabetes among patients.
Childhood Obesity and Diabetes
In the past years, only adults- particularly those in their late 30s to 40s are expected to develop Type 2 Diabetes. Recent studies however, prove that symptoms of pre-diabetes are now seen in adolescents and even children. Pre-diabetes is the state where a person has abnormally high levels of blood glucose. The reason? Unhealthy diet, over-eating, excessive weight and obesity.
Yes, how we eat can have a direct link to acquiring diabetes. Parents need to be concerned about the kind of diet they introduce to their kids. According to studies, obesity is a condition that starts to develop at an early age. When children are not taught the healthy way of eating, they can easily adapt unhealthy eating habits that may lead to serious health problems and diabetes is just one of them.
The popularity of fast food and pre-processed foods are factors that contribute to obesity. Today, kids are brought up to eat ready-to-eat meals that are high in calories, sodium and sugar. And let’s not forget the popularity of soda and artificial fruit juices in the market. Obviously, excessive consumption of these food groups results to uncontrolled weight gain and eventually- to obesity.
Another factor that leads to obesity is the sedentary lifestyle of most people. Kids spend long hours sitting in front of the television or computer and in playing video games instead of playing outdoors. As they grow up, these kids get used to this lifestyle. The lack of exercise means using up less energy and unused calories and starches in our body our converted into fat and sugar. Consequently, higher glucose levels in the blood can easily develop to diabetes.
Understanding that our eating habits are directly connected to the possibility of incurring diabetes and other health diseases should be a wake-up call for all. If you have kids, let them learn from an early age that a healthy diet also means a healthy life.
As parents, we should be living examples to our kids on how to eat correctly and healthily. Even if you’re still single, it’s about time to pay attention to how you’ve been taking care of your body. Ask yourself, are you at risk of becoming a diabetic? You don’t have to wait until you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes before you start making some changes. Fight obesity and minimize the risk of diabetes.
