Healthy Diet and Exercise – Key Elements in Preventing Diabetes Type 2

Some statistics show more than 24 million Americans have a form of diabetes and alarming studies predict we will see an increasing number of diabetes patients over the next few years. A recent study conducted by Elbert Huang from the University of Chicago predicts over 44 million diabetes cases by 2034 and an enormous increase in government diabetes-related spending by the same year. The US health care system seems unprepared for this situation and medical authorities grow more alarmed every year.

The same study conducted by Elbert Huang and published in the Diabetes Care journal points that more and more people suffer from obesity and that an amazing 90% of total diabetes cases are Type 2 diabetes, a form of diabetes developed over a long period of time. Type 2 Diabetes is a condition of the body in which the body either fails to produce enough insulin or the body simply fails to use the insulin, our main source of energy.

As statistics show, most Type 2 Diabetes patients are obese and have very high levels of fats and sugar in their blood.  In the long run, Type 2 Diabetes can lead to severe conditions – blindness, kidney failure and even amputation. This terrible condition affects and increasing number of people from all around the world and in America only there are over 16 million Type 2 Diabetes patients.

To take a more optimistic position in regards to Type 2 Diabetes we should note that this is a preventable condition. With an increased awareness about the main factors that lead to this condition, and the will to make the necessary changes in our society, we have the power to defeat this world wide health risk factor. A healthy diet and more exercise could help prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Of course any lifestyle changes will take time and a strong will, but unless we start making this changes today chances are millions of people will develop this disease during the next years.