Obesity And Diabetes – Tightly Linked And A Growing Problem

You don’t have to search hard or that long to find a story or study or other information detailing and documenting that America is heavy and getting heavier.

The term “obesity epidemic” is front and center on the radar screen of our culture.

A study by the United Health Foundation found that two out of every five people living in the U.S. may be obese by 2018.  (Yes, that would be about 40 percent of our republic.)  It’s a troubling statistic. 

Obesity weakens and hurts our nation and society on so many levels.  It costs
approximately $8,000 a year to care for someone obese and it is estimated
that taking care of and treating the obese will ultimately consume
approximately 21 percent of all health care spending in the United States.

Obesity puts people at risk for several diseases and health complications. 

A rise in the incidence of diabetes is among the most devastating consequences of this trend. While heredity plays a strong role in who develops diabetes, a serious
metabolic disorder, there is also a definite and strong connection between
obesity and the disease.

Close to 26 million people in the U.S. – about 8.3 percent of the population – have diabetes.

There are three types of diabetes – type 1, type 2, and gestational.   All types affect the ability of the body to absorb and use glucose, a simple sugar and
carbohydrate essential for energy. 

People with type 1 diabetes have a pancreas that does not produce insulin, the hormone necessary for the body to properly put glucose to use.   With type 2 diabetes – which is the form of diabetes that 90 to 95 percent of those with the disease have – the pancreas is producing insulin, but either not enough or the body cannot use the insulin the pancreas provides. 

According to the American Red Cross, there are many ways to treat and
care for someone with type 2 diabetes. It is important to eat a heart-healthy
diet, begin exercising and limit sugar intake carefully. Regarding exercise, it
is crucial to know  the capabilities of one’s body. For some, walking a few steps each day is the only form of exercise. For others, biking a few miles might be a great way to stay active. However, there are often times when supplements are needed in the body to adjust levels to an appropriate level. One can seek the guidance of a physician or naturopathic doctor in this case.

Late in their pregnancies, women can develop gestational diabetes, which results in high blood sugar.   Usually the diabetes ends after the birth of the child.  Yet women who have had gestational diabetes run a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes within five to 10 years after the pregnancy. 

Diabetes is a serious disease and serious problem across our land. Millions suffer the damage it wreaks on the eyes, heart and blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, and teeth and gums.  Severe diabetes exposes those with the disease to heart attack, stroke, infections, blindness, and kidney failure – and it can cause nerve damage, and skin sores and infection that can necessitate amputation of limbs.

With obesity such a health threat – and the stakes so dire if we don’t do something about the epidemic – we have no time to lose in commencing the process of healing our nation and getting healthier.

Stephen Bernardi is a registered pharmacist and co-owner of Johnson Compounding and Wellness Center in Waltham. Readers with questions can email steve@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.