Diabetes Alert Day – March 26th – Do You Know if You are at Risk for Developing Diabetes?

English: Overview of the most significant possible symptoms of diabetes. See Wikipedia:Diabetes#Signs_and_symptoms for references. Model: Mikael Häggström. To discuss image, please see Template talk:Häggström diagrams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions not just in the United States but in the world today. Simply defined, diabetes is a condition wherein blood glucose levels remain uncontrolled in the bloodstream due to the absence (type 1) or lack (type 2) of insulin produced by the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, there are cases wherein insulin production is enough, but there is a resistance in the binding of insulin to protein receptors in the cells. Hence, glucose remains in the bloodstream and cannot enter the cells.

There are certain factors that make you at risk for developing diabetes. These can be divided into two categories: modifiable and non-modifiable.

Non-modifiable Risk Factors

These are risk factors that cannot be changed because they are inherent in you. These include:

• Family History – If you have parents or siblings that have diabetes, your chances of getting the condition also increases. If you also had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, your chances of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus also goes higher. You also have the predisposition to develop gestational diabetes in your subsequent pregnancies.
• Age – As you grow older, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes also increases. This condition is common among adults aged 45 and above. However, this does not mean to say that there are no occurrences of diabetes among children, adolescents, and young adults. The reason behind this is that people tend to exercise less as they grow old, leading to lower muscle mass and higher weight gain. The lack of physical activity also applies to today’s youth, with technology making everything possible.
• Race – Studies show that people of Hispanic origin are most likely to develop diabetes. The same goes for American Indians and Asian Americans. However, the cause for this predisposition is not yet known.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Fortunately, there is something you can do to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus from developing. Here are the risk factors that you can still change to avoid diabetes:

• Obesity – Being overweight or obese is defined as having a body mass index or BMI of 25 and above. This is actually the primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. This also accounts for the high incidence of diabetes in society these days, since a lot of people are considered overweight. The more fats you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. You can lessen your body fats by being more active in terms of exercising.
• Sedentary Lifestyle – The lack of physical activity is the reason why most people deposit fats to different parts of their body. In fact, obesity and inactivity go hand in hand. It is important that you engage in physical activities, such as sports and exercise, to avoid fat deposition to different parts of your body.
• Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits – If you are fond of eating unhealthy foods, then that would contribute to the added fats in your body. Smoking can also cause high blood pressure, which can lead to diabetes.

To know more about diabetes mellitus and its causes, you can subscribe to our newsletter.  We have meal plans for people with diabetes or who may be at risk of developing diabetes – learn more here: www.healthydietmenusforyou.com – Do You Know if You are at Risk for Developing Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions not just in the United States but in the world today. Simply defined, diabetes is a condition wherein blood glucose levels remain uncontrolled in the bloodstream due to the absence (type 1) or lack (type 2) of insulin produced by the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, there are cases wherein insulin production is enough, but there is a resistance in the binding of insulin to protein receptors in the cells. Hence, glucose remains in the bloodstream and cannot enter the cells.

There are certain factors that make you at risk for developing diabetes. These can be divided into two categories: modifiable and non-modifiable.

Non-modifiable Risk Factors

These are risk factors that cannot be changed because they are inherent in you. These include:

• Family History – If you have parents or siblings that have diabetes, your chances of getting the condition also increases. If you also had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, your chances of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus also goes higher. You also have the predisposition to develop gestational diabetes in your subsequent pregnancies.
• Age – As you grow older, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes also increases. This condition is common among adults aged 45 and above. However, this does not mean to say that there are no occurrences of diabetes among children, adolescents, and young adults. The reason behind this is that people tend to exercise less as they grow old, leading to lower muscle mass and higher weight gain. The lack of physical activity also applies to today’s youth, with technology making everything possible.
• Race – Studies show that people of Hispanic origin are most likely to develop diabetes. The same goes for American Indians and Asian Americans. However, the cause for this predisposition is not yet known.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Fortunately, there is something you can do to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus from developing. Here are the risk factors that you can still change to avoid diabetes:

• Obesity – Being overweight or obese is defined as having a body mass index or BMI of 25 and above. This is actually the primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. This also accounts for the high incidence of diabetes in society these days, since a lot of people are considered overweight. The more fats you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. You can lessen your body fats by being more active in terms of exercising.
• Sedentary Lifestyle – The lack of physical activity is the reason why most people deposit fats to different parts of their body. In fact, obesity and inactivity go hand in hand. It is important that you engage in physical activities, such as sports and exercise, to avoid fat deposition to different parts of your body.
• Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits – If you are fond of eating unhealthy foods, then that would contribute to the added fats in your body. Smoking can also cause high blood pressure, which can lead to diabetes.

To know more about diabetes mellitus and its causes, you can subscribe to our newsletter.  We have meal plans for people with diabetes or who may be at risk of developing diabetes – learn more here: www.healthydietmenusforyou.com