Tip Of The Iceberg Epidemic Analysis

As mentioned in our discussion during Week Two, obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. With obesity comes an onslaught of chronic illnesses, in particular, diabetes. The American Diabetes Association defines diabetes mellitus as "a condition characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from the body's inability to use blood glucose for energy." An article from Nutrition Action Health Letter called "Tip of the Iceberg", discusses a new problem that is now plaguing the American population. On the surface, we know that 29 million American adults have diabetes but what is staggering is that, according to Dr. Edward Gregg, Chief of the Epidemiology and Statistics Branch in the Division of Diabetes Translation at Centers for Disease Control, "There’s a fairly large proportion— roughly 28 percent—of adults with diabetes who don’t know it... And then you have a third of the adult population that’s at very high risk for diabetes. And the vast majority of people with prediabetes don’t know that they have it."

There are three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body does not produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is when your sugar levels are higher than normal and your body does not use insulin properly. It has been linked to obesity and it is now affecting adults and teenagers. Gestational diabetes causes women to have high blood glucose levels during their pregnancy. The biggest concern, however, is prediabetes. This is when your sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Dr. Leigh Perreault, a physician and clinical researcher at the University of Colorado, says that "People with prediabetes have a 20 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to their peers with normal blood sugar." Unfortunately, prediabetes does not trigger the same type of urgency as diabetes would with some

doctors.
The good news is that type 2 diabetes is preventable if we make the necessary lifestyle changes. The Diabetes Prevention Program study found that dietary changes in conjunction with increased physical activity can lower the risk of prediabetes. Experts recommend that you have a low-fat, low calorie diet. To do so, make sure you eat a lot of leafy greens, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. It is important to note that physical activity does not need to be strenuous. Thirty minutes of moderate physical activity can keep blood glucose levels in check. Losing a modest amount of weight can reduce the risk of diabetes by almost 50%.