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We couldn’t let November pass by without taking special note of it being Diabetes Awareness Month. With about 1 in 10 people in America having a diabetes diagnosis, and 1/5 of those being unaware that they have it, diabetes deserves the spotlight this month.

When talking with our patients, we’ve found that there seem to be a few misconceptions about this disease. With that in mind, we put together a quick Diabetes Fact List so you can be informed and aware of the symptoms, effects, and treatment.

1. Diabetes isn’t caused by eating too much sugar.

   While being overweight does increase your chance of getting type 2 diabetes, sugar intake does not provide a direct causation. In fact, when diabetics figure out how much insulin they need when eating a meal or snack, they don’t take grams of sugar into consideration, but rather grams of carbohydrates.

2. There’s a big difference between type 1 and type 2.

   People of any age, weight, and body type can develop type 1, and it occurs when the pancreas slows or stops its insulin production. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and there is no cure.

   Type 2 develops due to the body’s ineffective use of insulin, and is most often a result of excess body weight and low physical activity. Type 2 diabetes can be slowed or put into remission with lifestyle changes. Type 2 diabetics account for 90-95% of all cases of diabetes.

3. People with either kind of diabetes are not required to cut anything out of their diets.

   They do, however, need to pay attention to the amount of carbohydrates and adjust their insulin intake accordingly. While there are “diabetic-friendly” foods on the market, these are not consequence-free foods. They may still raise blood sugar, often contain sugar alcohols that can have a laxative effect, and are often little more than price-inflated gimmicks.

4. Diabetes is growing.

   Between 1980 and 2014 the number of people around the world with diabetes grew from 108 million to 422 million. And it’s estimated that the number of those diagnosed will grow by another 54% by 2030.

5. A whopping 9 in 10 cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or avoided by making healthier lifestyle choices.

   These include keeping your weight at a healthy level (being obese makes you 20-40 TIMES more likely to develop diabetes) and exercising (being inactive promotes type 2 diabetes, while exercise improves your body’s ability to use and process insulin and glucose).

Have more questions about diabetes, how to prevent it, and what the symptoms are? We’re here for all of that and more. The doctors Fountain Hills Medical Center care about you, and also about the alarming rise in diagnoses. If you’re concerned about whether you might be diabetic or prediabetic, come in to our primary care clinic. We’ll ask some questions, perhaps take a urine or blood test, and talk through whatever concerns you have. Not only are we your source for top medical care that’s close to home, but we’re here to be your support and your guidance for whatever diagnoses comes your way.

Sources:

• CDC.gov
• Diabetes.org
• Who.int
• Communityaccessnetwork.org
• ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• hsph.harvard.edu