Diabetes may be the most important illness in the world. It is silent and deadly and affects millions of people worldwide. But for many, it is also preventable.
November was Diabetes Awareness Month, but really every month should be; and there is a good reason why. 25.8 million Americans, 8.3% of the US population, have diabetes and about 7 million of them don’t know they have it. In addition, it is estimated that 79 million adults aged 20 and older have prediabetes. That’s a condition where blood sugar levels are too high to be normal but not quite high enough to be called diabetes.
25.8 million Americans have diabetes and 7 million of them don’t know they have it. 79 million more adults aged 20 and older have prediabetes. The video below explains the disease
If you have prediabetes and begin to lose weight and exercise, you have a good chance of reversing it. But if you wait five years or more, there is a good chance it will turn into diabetes. About 68% of people with diabetes die of heart disease or stroke, problems that might not have happened if the diabetes had been prevented.
Research shows that you can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58% by:
- Losing 7% of your body weight (or 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds)
- Exercising moderately (such as brisk walking) 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Please click on the music video below to learn more about diabetes. Don’t let diabetes take control of you. Like and share with your friends.
