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Walking
to Beat Diabetes
Excerpt By Nancy A. Melville,
HealthScoutNews Reporter
(HealthScoutNews)
-- Although there are an estimated 16 million Americans who have
diabetes, only about two-thirds of them can describe their experience
with the disease.
That's because
the rest don't even know they have the potentially devastating
condition, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Nicole Johnson,
the 1999 Miss America, used to be one of that group. In 1993,
as a 19-year-old sophomore in college, Johnson suddenly found
herself battling the Type I form of the disease.
"With
Type II diabetes, you can have the disease for years before it's
ever diagnosed. But when you have Type I, it hits you like a ton
of bricks because you become very ill," she explains. "I
became violently ill and was taken to the hospital a few times
before I was finally diagnosed."
With the help
of lifestyle changes and the use of an insulin pump that she wears
around the clock, Johnson is now in control of her illness.
And to help
raise awareness and funds for diabetes research, she is among
the more than 100,000 people who will participate in walks sponsored
by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in 275 U.S. cities
this fall.
"I'm
blessed to have the opportunity to speak on diabetes and hopefully
offer some hope," Johnson says. "This condition is difficult
to deal with. I know that because I have first-hand experience.
But if we give up, that's when we lose our chances of winning."
The U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention recently elevated diabetes
to the status of an epidemic, and ADA experts say there are no
signs the number of new cases is even leveling off.
"Type
II diabetes used to be known as 'adult onset [diabetes],' "
says Anne Daly, president of health care and education for the
ADA. "But we don't even use that term anymore, because it's
now being seen even in young teen-agers. And the rates in the
general population are increasing exponentially."
Because about
50 percent of Type II diabetics experience no symptoms, it's important
to be aware of risk factors, Daly says. Significant risk factors
include a family history of the disease; being overweight or inactive;
and being Hispanic, African-American, American Indian, or a Pacific
Islander, among other ethnic groups.
With so many
undiagnosed cases, many people may falsely believe diabetes isn't
in their family history, Daly adds.
"People
say they don't have diabetes in their family, but we have to remind
them that one-third of cases are undiagnosed," she says.
"Maybe you think it wasn't in your family, but maybe it was
undiagnosed."
Those at risk
of the disease are advised to undergo annual diabetes testing,
which usually just involves fasting overnight and having a blood
test first thing the next morning.
Between 90
and 95 percent of diabetes cases are Type II, the ADA says.
In Type II
diabetes, either the body doesn't produce enough insulin or the
cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to
be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in
the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the
cells. When sugar (glucose) builds up in the blood instead of
going into cells, it can cause two problems:
- Right away,
your cells may be starved for energy.
- Over time,
high blood sugar levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves
or heart, according to the ADA.
A proper diet,
regular exercise and weight loss are often enough to control Type
II diabetes, the ADA says.
Type I diabetes
most often occurs in children and young adults. In those cases,
the body stops producing insulin, and insulin injections -- or
a pump like the one Johnson uses -- are necessary to stay alive.
What to
Do: Those interested in participating, either individually
or as part of a team, in one of the walks can find out more information
at the ADA's site, America's
Walk for Diabetes. Wonder if you're at risk for diabetes?
Take the
Diabetes Risk Test.
Reference
Source 101
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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