In 2010, there were 26 million people in the US with diabetes – the new CDC report shows that this has gone up to 29.1 million. Moreover, 25% of people – 1 in 4 – do not realize they have the disease, which increases the risk of serious complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, amputation of toes, feet or legs, and early death. (Junk Food Aricimboldo by Andy Council)
The CDC figures show that in 2012 alone, 1.7 million Americans age 20 and over were newly diagnosed with diabetes and 208,000 people under the age of 20 have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
The report says 86 million adult American have prediabetes, where blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
“Diabetes is costly in both human and economic terms,” says Dr. Ann Allbright, director of the federal agency’s Division of Diabetes Translation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She describes the new figures as “alarming”. The estimated total cost in medical bills and lost work and wages due to diabetes and related complications is $245 billion dollars for 2013, up from $174 billion in 2010.
If these numbers continue to rise, then 1 in 5 Americans will have diabetes by 2025, and 1 in 3 by 2050, she warns, adding that: “We simply can’t sustain this trajectory – the implications are far too great – for our families, our healthcare system, our workforce, our nation.”
She says we already know that the most effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and it also improves health in those already with the disease.
“The sooner people find out they have prediabetes and take action, the better their chances of preventing type 2 diabetes,” she adds, and suggests that CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program is a good example of how to help people change their lifestyle for the benefit of their health.
MY TAKE:
I have written about this issue frequently and will continue to harp on this message. I believe these figures are too conservative. I think we are already at 1 in 5 and will reach 1 in 2 by 2050.
We just eat too much. The only diet that has been proven to extend life is one that reduces caloric intake. We also eat the wrong stuff. The refined carbohydrates have to go. I don’t care whether you adopt the Paleo Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, the Paleo-Mediterranean Diet, or just cut out the junk.
The formula is really quite simple – eat 3 servings of protein, 5 vegetables and 2 fruits every day. If you eat a big salad, that’s 2 vegetable servings. So a salad at lunch, another at dinner, then just one more vegetable serving with dinner and you’ve met your goal for vegetables. Have a serving of protein for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eat a banana, an apple, or some other fruit as a snack in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Now you’ve met your macronutrient needs for the day and maintained a nice level blood glucose, avoiding any serious demands on the pancreas. (Photo by tmcpics)
THE BOTTOM LINE:
These is a preventable and even reversible disease. Begin today. Ask your doctor to order a glycohemoglobin A1c to measure your average blood glucose level for the past two months. The normal range is below 5.7%. If you are 5.7% or higher, you are in trouble. If you are above 6.0%, you are a diabetic.
Source - Medical News Today -Thursday, June 12, 2014
