Obesity and Diabetes

An estimated 16 million people are on the verge of developing diabetes. The leading cause of death from diabetes is:

About 40% of all heart attacks are caused by diabetes. Diabetes is also the leading cause of:

Liver Disease - Causing cirrhosis and liver failure.

Colon Cancer - Abdominal fat makes you a high risk.

Osteoarthritis - Spines, knee joints lose cartilage and start grinding bone on bone.

Stroke - Risk is up to four times higher with type 2 diabetics from blood vessel rupturing or becoming clogged.

Blindness - High carbohydrate diets can cause insulin resistance and diabetes creates damage to the blood vessels in the retina of the eye leading to blindness.

Heart Disease - The number 1 killer is created from elevated triglycerides caused from eating too many carbohydrates and not enough fiber. The sticky sugar and fat clog the heart arteries.

Research shows that more than half of new diabetes cases can be prevented with some fairly simple lifestyle changes, such as losing a few pounds.  After years of reassuring diabetics that the disease is one they can live with and manage, doctors and health workers are struggling with how to also send the message that diabetes is a deadly, terrible disease -- so that more people will be motivated to take steps to prevent it. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 60% of the U.S. adult population is overweight. The definition of obesity – 20% or more above ideal body weight – applies to nearly one-third of the population. Of those newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, nearly 90% are overweight.

A recent by the American Diabetic Association assed the publics knowledge of the link between weight and type 2 diabetes and found education was critical to assisting people to understand how food, diet and lifestyle was not well understood. That is exactly where we come into the picture.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and usually is triggered by poor diet, obesity, and lack of exercise. The body becomes unable to process insulin effectively and can't make enough insulin to keep blood-glucose levels normal. Insulin is important because it promotes the storage and use of all nutrients, including sugar.

You can stop the onset of diabetes by up to 60% by losing as little as 10 – 15 pounds and exercising 30 minutes a day at least 5 times a week.

Realize you don't have to achieve the same weight you had in high school in order to make a significant difference in your health. (Learn More)

Health Questions?

If you have more questions, that are not answered on the web site, ask the Doc?