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Diabetes Type 2

© Stephanie Hembree

Diabetes is a serious health problem, which often goes undiagnosed for years. The facts about diabetes leave no doubt to its seriousness. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Currently, an estimated 10.3 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes and another 5.4 million people don't realize that they have it. These people are all at increased risk for serious health complications. To read the full story from Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/glance.... For answers to frequently asked questions about diabetes from what diabetes is and the different types to treatments and prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/faqs.htm

Diabetes is classified into two main types: type 1 and type 2. Between 5% and 10% of people with diabetes have type 1 and they require insulin. Type 2 affects 90%-95% of people with diabetes and usually appears after age 40, although this is changing as more kids are developing type 2 diabetes. This article is about type 2 diabetes because it can often be controlled by diet and lifestyle changes alone. Other types of diabetes beyond the scope of this article are gestational diabetes and the less common types of diabetes, which together may account for 1%-2% of all diagnosed cases, resulting from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. Type 2 diabetes is called insulin resistant. To read about insulin resistance. http://syndromex.stanford.edu/ A new syndrome, called Syndrome W, is believed to exist before diabetes has been found. To read about Syndrome W http://health.discovery.com/fansites/she... Diagnosing and treating diabetes not only manages the symptoms, it prevents the long-term complications of the disease.

One of the best ways to treat type 2 diabetes is through diet and weight control. To learn why people with diabetes require a special diet. http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/... Compared to fats and protein, carbohydrates have the greatest impact on blood sugar; but different carbohydrates have different effects. Carbohydrates are either complex (as in starches) or simple (as in fruits and sugars). One gram of carbohydrates equals four calories. Although the current recommendation is that carbohydrates should provide between 50% and 60% of the daily caloric intake, the high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet has recently come under scrutiny. Type 2 diabetics, who tend to be overweight and insulin-resistant, seem to over produce glucose after carbohydrate intake, which in turn requires more insulin to process it. This leads to appetite stimulation and production of fat. Some diabetics may have problems with cholesterol and triglyceride levels when carbohydrates constitute over 50% of the diet. If triglycerides are high, carbohydrates should be reduced to 45%.

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