Devastating diabetes.

The sad & unnecessary impact of type II diabetes.

Who do you rely for your health? Now? In the future?

This week is Diabetes Awareness Week and with the rapid increase in type II diabetes it is worth reminding ourselves of the devastating effects of diabetes.

For starters

·         Kidney function failure:  fancy be tied to a dialysis machine every few days…….means you won’t be able to travel far….probably have to shelve the Grey Nomad dream.

·         Eye damage: 1 in 6 diabetics people develop eye damage:  tends to make watching TV a challenge.

·         Stroke: impaired movement, memory loss. Debilitating, frustrating and permanent impact.

·         Heart disease: enough said on Australia’s #1 killer disease.

·         Limb amputation:  what to be able to chase the grand kids? How will you go on 1 leg?

The big disconnect…………..

I am not sure what it takes to get people to look in the mirror, take personal responsibility, think about what and how much goes in their mouth or to find time to 30 minutes of brisk exercise each day.

To me it’s a no-brainer: exercise, eat real foods and not too much (thanks Mr Pollan), reduce sugar intake or…alternatively take tablets, be a burden to others and have a severely reduced ‘quality of life if diabetes catches up with you.

A few simple steps seems to be the answer.

If losing around 3-4 kgs is enough to avoid you going from pre-diabetic to full blown diabetes wouldn’t it be worth a subtle and simple lifestyle change?

In the USA, in 2010, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with a national health insurer and the YMCA, launched the National Diabetes Prevention Program for people at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

The program is based on a study in which participants who learned to eat more healthfully and exercised at least 150 minutes/week (5 days x 30 mins/day) reduced their weight by 5 to 7 percent  reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent!! Not a bad return on investment in my books.

So if not for yourself, at least consider the other people in your life who may have to end up caring for you.

I’d be really interested to hear from you if you can throw any light on this ‘disconnection’.

To your continued good health, Rossco