12.1 Disease of Civilization
For this blog, I have chose diabetes. Diabetes is prevalent all across the United States and its numbers are...alarming. Sure, Type 1 Diabetes in unavoidable and is not contributed to lifestyle. But, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is another story.
We see T2D on the rise here in America and world-wide, actually. This can be due to an increased sedentary lifestyle, as well as the nutrition habits of the patient. In Asians, we see an increase in T2D if they consume excessive amounts of carbohydrates and/or have very little physical activity (Hu, 2001).
In this 2004 article, Klein and colleagues touch on the fact that BMI has an incredible impact on the likelihood of developing T2D. A patient with a BMI of greater than 35 is twenty times more likely to develop T2D (Klein et al., 2004). Cue the head-exploding emoji. That is just WILD. How to people develop a BMI over 35? Well, fast food, soda, junk food, and everything unhealthy that is advertised online and in stores. American's (and people world-wide) have this temptation everywhere they go! From all the fast food signs lining the streets, to the ding-dongs on the shelves in stores. It's everywhere. I believe that most times, people are not educated enough to know the consequences of consuming these foods on a regular basis. Now, there are some exceptions - like that super skinny friend we all know who can eat their weight in McDonald's and Little Debbie snacks and never gain a pound (or develop T2D). But, that is not the case for most individuals!
Consuming these foods and becoming obese usually leads to T2D. T2D can have a horrendous effect on the human body. Some complications that can arise from T2D is cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia (Klein et al., 2004). Wow, those are some scary words with even scarier end results. Not only do these individuals develop T2D and have to manage that (or not, a lot of individuals choose to stay in their habits and not treat it), but they also have to take care of the other side effects from their choice of foods.
This is incredibly scary and the rise of T2D is becoming an issue. Like, a big issue. I am very passionate about the prevalence of diabetes and one of my top goals as a physician is to combat this. Please. Make good nutritional choices.
Now that I've rambled about nutrition for so long, I would also like to point out that smoking and heavy drinking can attribute to T2D as well. This can cause the same secondary issues that nutrition/obesity-induced T2D can cause.
All in all, I pray that this disease becomes less prominent. I'm sure we could all name at least one person close to us that had T2D. It's crazy! Please inform others of this problem so we can combat it together!
Allie,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for choosing to write on such an important topic. I firmly believe that Type II Diabetes will be the next epidemic in the United States. It is amazing to see the link between BMI and the risk for T2D. With the pressure to make healthy choices in diet and exercise, I am reminded of the importance of policy to assist individuals in making these choices. For example, I grew up in rural Kansas. Living in a food desert, we had limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. If they were available, they are expensive. I am thankful my parents love to garden and are able to afford fresh options at the grocery stores, but many individuals are not that lucky. It will be interesting to see the continued rise of T2D as nutrient-poor diets and sedentary lifestyles continue to dominate our culture. Hopefully policy can provide resources for individuals to have access to nutrient-dense food sources. I hope as future physicians we are able to combat the rise of T2D and encourage our patients to make healthy choices! I look forward to consulting with you in the future as we treat our patients with T2D in our respective clinics and hospitals.
Hi Allie,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a really good job writing and analyzing why there has been an increase in T2D. The availability of food in consideration of price and type is definitely a factor. I hope that you are able to achieve you goal!