Impact- Medical-

Diabetes-it isn't JUST for OLD PEOPLE

Like HIV, there is no cure for Diabetes.  Unlike HIV, most teens don't really know what diabetes is or understand the impact it can have on a person's life.  Diabetes causes catastrophic problems, but these problems develop very slowly.  It used to be an old person's disease, but because teenagers and young adults are getting so much fatter so much younger, there are many more young adults who are being diagnosed with this awful, incurable disease.  Once diagnosed, you have to be religious about eating the right foods (all the time), the right portions and not drinking alcohol.  You have to poke your skin to test your blood about every 4 hours every day (ouch!).  Many people diagnosed with diabetes fail to realize how critical it is to follow their program religiously.  And they must monitor their blood sugar and consumption every day for the rest of their lives.  It is hard to change poor eating habits, especially for people who have been careless about diet and exercise for years.

80% of people with diabetes type 2 are overweight.  If you are overweight and have a family history of diabetes, you are at high risk.  (type 1 diabetes is the kind you are born with~type 2 develops because of poor eating habits and lack of exercise).

("Health Risks of Obesity.")

The Big Three

Big problems that occur because of diabetes often occur when that person doesn't take care of themselves.  Having diabetes doesn't mean that you won't live a normal life...just that you have to be continuously be aware of your food intake and activities.  These are some major life-changers... in a very bad way!

Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness-often during a person's working years.  If you are blind, you can't drive a car.  You would have trouble finding work~ if you can't work, how will you pay for basic living expenses, medicine, and diabetic testing supplies or having fun?  Not Good.

Diabetes is the leading cause of leg amputations (excluding accidents).  With diabetes, your blood circulation becomes very poor.  The feet and legs are often cold, have no feeling (kinda like having your foot go to sleep, but forever) and they heal slowly or not at all.  Since people can't feel their feet very well, they can easily hurt their feet, especially if they go bare-footed or wear flip-flops.  When trimming toenails it's not unusual to nick the skin.  That nick, or a wound from an accidental cut or scrape can fail to heal and possibly need to amputate that body part.  The doctor has to amputate the limb at the point where the circulation is adequate, otherwise, THAT won't heal.  Sometimes a simple cut on the pinky toe can result in an amputation above the knee.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure.  The kidneys act as filters of the blood.  If the blood doesn't get filtered, the person will die.  Kidney dialysis is a process to filter a person's blood by machine.  The person must sit while all of their blood circulates through a tube inserted into their arm.  After being filtered, it is pumped back into the person.  People generally are dialyzed 3 times a week.  It takes several hours each time.  The process is boring, yet exhausting.  I guess you'd read a lot of books (if your vision was okay), but I think I'd rather have coffee with friends, or walk along the river.  Imagine how a strict dialysis schedule would affect your lifestyle!   You couldn't really work-couldn't go on vacation-couldn't do much of anything.

There are other problems with diabetes, but these are the big three.  Think how these problems would affect your family, your ability to connect with friends or live out your dreams.  When it comes to diabetes, there is NO RESET BUTTON.  What we do, what we eat, how much we eat-these choices will affect our future in ways we cannot imagine.  We teenagers should make wise choices so we aren't forced to live with choices we will regret. (Brashers-Krug, Gail. )

Being overweight causes lots of other physical problems, too. 

• Increased risk of Premature Death
• Increased risk for Heart Disease (heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina or chest pain)
• Increased risk for Stroke (often, half your body becomes paralyzed-an arm and leg on the same side)
• Increased risk for Breathing problems (Obstructive sleep apnea, asthma and severe bronchitis)
• Increased risk for cancer (endometrial-cancer of the lining of the uterus, colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and post-menopausal breast cancer)
• Increased risk for Fatty Liver Disease (a metabolic disorder in which cells become insensitive to the effect of insulin
• Increased risk for Gallbladder Disease (the risk of this is 3 times greater in obese and overweight individuals than normal weight people)

When you look over this list, it just looks like a list of problems that affect other people.  When I want an ice cream, I no longer think, "WAFFLE CONE."  I choose the kid's size cone.  Once I have finished it, I'm just as pleased as when I have had a waffle cone and my head doesn't know the difference (and my body will take note). 

 ("Health Risks of Obesity.")

Brashers-Krug, Gail. "Diabetic Complications." Support and Advocacy for Diabetic Complications. 21 May, 2007 <http://www.nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/vod/vod215/ vodwin0701.htm>.

"Health Risks of Obesity." Anne Collins. 2007. 17 Apr. 2007 < http://www.annecollins.com/ obesity/risks-of-obesity.htm>.