Diabetes

- The 6th Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. -

 

Diabetes Defined:

High blood sugar levels is caused when your body does not recieve the correct energy it needs Food you ingest turns to sugar and your blood delivers this sugar all to the rest of the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood and changes into energy for the body. High blood sugar can lead to kidney problems, heart problems causing stroke or blindness, bad blood flow, the loss of a foot or leg, or death.

"Diabetes now affects nearly 21 million Americans – or 7 percent of the U.S. population – and more than 6 million of those people do not know they have diabetes, according to the latest prevalence data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

Start living a more active and healthy lifestyle now, because the risk of obtaining diabetes increases with age.

“Recent studies have shown that people with pre-diabetes can successfully prevent or delay the onset of diabetes by losing 5 percent to 7 percent of their body weight. This can be accomplished through 30 minutes or more of physical activity most days of the week and by following a low calorie, low fat eating plan, including a diet rich in whole grains and fruits and vegetables,” Dr. Vinicor said.

Did you know?

The 2005 National Diabetes Fact Sheet is available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes.