Facts about diabetes & obesity

By

The Ministry of Health

Obese patients can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 50 per cent if they were to lose five kilogrammes.

Foot ulcers.

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high.

This is either due to lack of the hormone insulin or the body's own resistance to insulin action.

There are two main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent) in which the pancreas fails to produce insulin which is necessary for survival. This type usually develops most frequently in childhood and adolescents, but is increasingly noted in adults.

Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent) which results from the body not able to respond properly to the action of insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more common and accounts for around 90 per cent of diabetes cases worldwide. It occurs frequently in adults, but is being noted increasingly in adolescents.

Symptoms:
-Excessive urination
-Increased thirst
-Weight loss
-Tiredness
-Blurred vision
-Coma in severe cases

In Type 2 diabetes, most people may not be able to tell if they have the disease as no early symptoms may appear and the disease is only diagnosed several years later after its onset and sometimes when complications are already present.

Obesity & Diabetes
Obesity and overweight are major risk factors for chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, as well as certain forms of cancer.

This is predominantly due to increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.

The likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes and hypertension also rises steeply with increasing body fatness. This disease now affects obese children even before puberty. Ninety per cent of Type 2 diabetes patients are obese or overweight.

Did you know 50 per cent of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through weight management?

Complications associated with Diabetes Mellitus
Most of the complications that occur are due to damage of the small blood vessels and nerves in the organs of the body resulting in:
- Blindness
- Kidney failure
- Heart diseases
- Impotence
- Foot ulcers
- Limb amputation

What you can do to prevent diabetes

Here are some tips to prevent diabetes:
- Maintain a healthy weight: Excess fat prevents insulin from working properly.
Find out your BMI and commit yourself to losing weight if you are overweight (BMI > 25).
- Adopt healthy eating habits
Eat healthily. Include five servings of fruits and vegetables.
Choose foods with low saturated fat, low sugar and salt.
Boil, steam or grill your food and garnish with herbs to add taste and flavour.
- Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity uses up blood sugar and body fat. Choose activities which you enjoy and relatively simple to do.
Exercise at least 30 minutes, five times a week.
- Check your diabetes risk factors periodically If you have most of the risk factors for diabetes, please consult your doctor as soon as possible to have your blood sugar checked.

Ministry of Health - Public Awareness Programme

Source: Weekend 29 November 2008