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Type 2

Diabetes type 2 has struck millions of American people. Every year there are 798, 000 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics in the United States. Usually, this type of diabetes develops in people 45 years and older. Yet, some individuals may not even be aware they are diabetic. A chronic disease, type 2 diabetes affects the way the body metabolizes glucose. In diabetes type 2 either the cells of the body have developed diabetes insulin resistance or the body’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin. The body needs the insulin to function efficiently. When a meal is eaten, the body’s digestive system breaks apart the food and turns it into blood sugar, or glucose, which passes through the bloodstream. Insulin “helps” it to move into the cells, which need the glucose for energy. Without the insulin, the cells are not fed and the blood sugar remains uselessly in the bloodstream.

Also known as adult onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, type 2 diabetes has escalated into an almost epidemic scale since the numbers of people over 45 are rising, more individuals are becoming overweight, and many people are living more sedentary lives. Lifestyle has much to do with an individual developing diabetes type two. Lack of an active life, lack of a balanced diet, lack of weight control, and lack of stress control can all add to the probability of someone developing this metabolic disease.

Also, there are strong indications that diabetes can develop in people who have a family medical history of diabetes, especially if one or both parents had the disease. Some women may also be predisposed to developing diabetes; especially, if they have had gestational diabetes or they have given birth to an infant who weighed over 9 pounds. Moreover, some drugs such as Dilantin (a steroid) can elevate the blood sugar in some people until they develop the disease. Finally, certain ethnic groups Hispanic/Latino Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans are all prone to developing type ii diabetes.

Diabetes has been called the “silent killer” since many people do not even realize they have type two diabetes. Approximately 5 million Americans are unaware they are diabetic. Each year diabetes proves fatal for over 193,000 people in America (American Diabetes Association). Long before being diagnosed as diabetic, some may already be living the harmful consequences of high blood sugar: fatigue, heart palpitations, susceptibility to infections, and increasing nerve damage to feet and hands (some diabetes adult onset symptoms). High glucose levels will eventually damage the body’s blood vessels, as well, causing hypertension and high cholesterol. This all leads to life-threatening conditions: heart attacks and strokes; kidney failure; blindness; and amputations.

Another unexpected health risk, albeit a mental health one, is the possibility of the diabetic becoming depressed. Depression and diabetes together seem to have twice the detrimental impact on the diabetic. The depression, alone, can cause a variety of physical and emotional symptoms such as headaches, recurring body aches, sleeplessness or oversleeping, chronic sadness, hopelessness, and lack of concentration and focus. A depressed person can also either refuse to eat or indulge in eating binges, particularly ingesting “comfort foods” such as sweets and high carbohydrate foods. In either case, both of these eating disorders can cause serious damage to one’s effectiveness in controlling diabetes. Additionally, if depression becomes severe, the diabetic may have suicidal thoughts and act upon them. This progression would definitely be life-threatening.

Unfortunately, there is a greater threat to the well-being of the American public. More children and teens are developing type 2 diabetes, mainly young people who are overweight. The estimates are that from 8 to 45 percent of those children with a recent diabetes diagnose have diabetes 2. What a tragic sign of the times that type 2 diabetes, once a disease of the older American, is now threatening the lives of America’s youth.

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