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Nearly 1/3
What does this represent?
This is the fraction of people in the U.S. with diabetes who do not know they have it.
Diabetes Means Problems With Blood Sugar
Many of the foods you eat are broken down into sugar by your body. Your body then makes insulin to help get the sugar to your cells. This sugar gives you the energy you need to live. With diabetes, there’s a problem with making or using insulin. That problem can allow your blood sugar levels to become too high. In time, this can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart. Left untreated, it can be life threatening.
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Who gets diabetes?
Some people think they won’t get diabetes if it doesn’t run in the family. But family history is just one part of the diabetes picture; lifestyle is another big part. In fact, diabetes is growing very quickly in the United States as our lifestyles become less healthy. If you are overweight and don’t get enough physical activity, you could be putting yourself at risk for this serious disease.
Types of diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes do not produce any insulin, so they must take insulin every day. Between 5 and 10% of Americans with diabetes have type 1. People with type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin or properly use the insulin they do produce. Over 90% of Americans with diabetes have type 2.
Type 2 diabetes: An epidemic
Type 2 diabetes is growing so quickly in the United States that it’s considered an epidemic. This epidemic affects children as well as adults. Type 2 diabetes was once called Adult Onset Diabetes. That name has changed because of the growing number of children diagnosed each year with this serious and often preventable illness.
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Did you know?
You can consult with a health coach who can:
- Answer any questions you may have about diabetes
- Connect you to other helpful programs and services
- Provide information and tips about following your doctor’s treatment plans
- Work with you to create a Condition Management program designed just for you
You can request the support of a health coach right now by completing a secure online form that lets you indicate the most convenient time for a health coach to call you.
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Diabetes is often a “silent” disease
Some people have diabetes without any symptoms. Others may have one or more of these signs:
- frequent urination
- excessive thirst
- extreme hunger
- unusual weight loss
- increased fatigue
- irritability
- blurry vision
Even if you have symptoms, they might not get your attention because they don’t seem serious. That’s why it’s so important to see your doctor and get screened for diabetes. |
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Diagnosing diabetes: A simple blood test
Your doctor will ask you to have a blood test that requires you to fast overnight. Then, some of your blood will be taken and tested for sugar. Your doctor will test your blood to check for an elevated sugar level in order to determine if you have diabetes.
Pre-diabetes: A warning
Almost everyone who will have diabetes develops pre-diabetes first. Pre-diabetes means your blood sugar levels are high, but not as high as with diabetes. Studies show that pre-diabetes itself may cause long-term damage to your body, especially to your heart and circulatory system. The good news is that, with diet and exercise, you may well be able to delay or even prevent pre-diabetes from progressing to diabetes.
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Healthy lifestyle choices can help
If you have any of the risk factors for diabetes – overweight, physical inactivity, high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure – or if you have pre-diabetes, you should pay special attention to reducing your risk. These tips can help anyone reduce his or her chances of getting diabetes:
- Eat a low-fat, low-calorie diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Make room for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Healthy lifestyle choices, along with regular screenings, are your first line of defense against developing diabetes.
Q: What level of blood sugar is too high?
A: A blood sugar level of 100 mg/dl or lower is considered normal when a person’s blood is tested after a fast. Levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl are in the pre-diabetes range. A person with a blood sugar of 126 mg/dl or above has diabetes. These numbers measure the amount of sugar in a given amount of blood. The sugar is measured in milligrams (mg) and the amount of blood is a deciliter (dl), which is one 10th of a liter.
Q: If I have more questions about diabetes, who can I contact?
A: A UPS Healthy Connections – Informed Choices health coach. You can complete a secure online form to request a health coach call you. Our health coaches have years of clinical experience and can help you with your health care concerns, questions and complex health conditions.
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Good for you in more ways than one
Obesity is the largest controllable risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Studies show that overweight people can lower blood sugar by losing as little as 5% of their body weight. But diabetes isn’t the only condition related to unhealthy weight.
Healthy weight lowers many risk factors
Maintaining a healthy weight as a way of preventing diabetes delivers a huge bonus. You are also lowering your risk factors for the many conditions associated with obesity or simply with being overweight. Healthy weight reduces your risk for: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, several kinds of cancer, cardiovascular disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, high blood pressure, reduced immunity, respiratory problems, infertility, liver disease, low back pain, sleep apnea, stroke, and a variety of other diseases and disorders. A healthy weight truly is healthy in more ways than one.
Sources: American Obesity Association, 2005, www.obesity.org; Centers for Disease Control, 2007, www.cdc.gov
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Eat breakfast!
Fitness Magazine reports that skipping breakfast increases your risk for diabetes by 30 to 50 percent. If you often miss this important start to the day, it’s an easy thing to fix in exchange for a very big reward.
There’s always time for breakfast
Some people say they have no time for breakfast. Others think that skipping breakfast will help them lose weight. In fact, not eating in the morning is associated with weight gain, not loss. As for not having time, getting up five minutes earlier or preparing something the night before is a small price to pay to avoid such a large risk factor. The best breakfast includes some fiber and some protein. High-fiber cereal with fruit and low-fat milk is a great choice. There is protein in the milk and in most high-fiber cereals as well. And studies show that people who regularly eat high-fiber cereals can improve their bodies’ ability to use insulin.
Source: Fitness Magazine, 2007, www.fitnessmagazine.com
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Sources:
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2006, www.mayoclinic.com
American Diabetes Association, 2007, www.diabetes.org
Biology-Online, 2000, www.biology-online.org
Aetna InteliHealth, 2005-2006, www.intelihealth.com
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