Diabetes, an epidemic?

justpoorfect · Jun 12, 2006

To my way of thinking it is a turning point in human evolution. Consider, for instance, Native Americans, who never had any problems with the disease before invaders introduced them to sugary foods. Their bodies were very well adapted to what foods were available within their environment.

With our higher thinking abilities, we have reduced our need for physical labor tremendously, yet our bodies have not kept up. We still lose bone mass, flexibility, and tissue integrity without exercise. Glucose is the only fuel our brains can burn, so our brains demand we ingest more, MORE MORE! We seem to have trouble finding the right balance with the nutrition we have available to us.

Now we are in a position where we might be able to change some things through genetic engineering, though we could have BOTH disastrous and miraculous results.

I believe you can find data supporting the idea that globalization effects much more than just our jobs!

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jun 12, 2006

I agree with the above poster. Type 2 diabetes is mainly caused by a genetic predisposition along with inactivity and too much food...mainly processed carbs.

But not all type 2s are overweight and inactive! My mother was diagnosed with type 2 never being overweight in her life and walked 5 miles a day 3 days a week. But her father and all his siblings were diabetics so genetics played a huge role for her. Halle Berry is a Type 2 and she is clearly not overweight! I was just reading an article with her and she says she manages her diabetes with diet and working out (no insulin; some people tend to think she is Type 1 but she is not. She came and talked at a diabetes conference I was at about her being a Type 2)

My dad has adult onset Type 1.

I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant both times, but was able to manage it with diet. Even now my blood sugar isn't normal and I work out 5 days a week and eat healthy. It's very frusterating

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2006

I came across an interesting health news story today:

Depression Drugs May Cause Diabetes

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,199181,00.html

We all know that antipsychotics can cause diabetes. According to this article, antidepressants may also. With 1/10 American women on antidepressants, this could spell trouble.

indigo girl · Jun 14, 2006

I am reading more and more about the effects of certain food additives. We have already posted about transfats, and the Academy of Sciences noting that there are no safe levels. Diabetes is a complicated disease. Because we are seeing more and more of adult disease in children, coupled with obesity, researchers are looking at the food chain. HFCS, high fructose corn syrup first entered the food supply in the 1970s. It's much cheaper than table sugar, and it's in an amazing number of ordinary foods including what you might think of as health foods e.g. whole grain cereals, yogurts, energy bars fruit juices. A quick look in your pantry and you'll see it in spaghetti sauces, ketchup, salad dressing, iced teas, many breads etc. And, of course fast foods, and soda (especially sodas). And the hamburger buns at your favorite fast food palace. What does it do? It makes you hungry in two different ways. Table sugar will trigger the release of leptin in our bodies, and that cause you to fill full, so you stop eating. And table sugar suppresses the release of ghrelin, the substance that makes you hungry. HFCS does neither, so you go on feeling hungry long past the point when you would have ordinarily stopped eating. I'm not a big fan of sugar, but I'd rather see that in a soda or cereal eaten by a child than HFCS. This is not a natural product. It's chemically manufactured from corn starch. Avoid it if you can.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

My father has never been overweight, yet he developed adult-onset diabetes a few years ago. Genetics played a role, as his mother, father, sister and nephew are all diabetics. I shall also mention that we're African-American, another risk factor.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

I really think there is a link in *some* diabetes cases to stess. I think cortisol being out of wack can mess up the HPA axis and then cascade into diabetes in some. Note, I said *some*. It's only when I'm super-stressed that I have really bad blood sugar woes.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

Also, keep in mind that with advancement in medicine and knowledge about diabetes (and other diseases) more people than ever are living longer and having children. More children more genetic diseases being passed to subsequent generations.

What I mean is that when Rome was in power, people with diabetes didn't live as long, and didn't have as many if any children to pass on that trait...now think of today!?! With treatments people with diabetes can safely have children and live long lives!

So the occurance of passing genetic traits increases as medicine decreases mortaility rates to illnesses that once were fatal.

That is just yet another scenero...

I also think better screening has found more and more people with diabetes than ever before. We find it more often now...so it could have been the same numbers of folks since the 60's or what not, but now we are catching it more via more education and screenings!

tusnchargers · Dec 11, 2006

There has been a lot of research on how Diabetes and Obesity are linked. Diabetes and obesity is happening because many families go out to eat nowadays rather than eating a home cooked meal. Over time, society has decreased its nutritional intake. There’s a lot of sugar in fast food. Fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King continue to affect the status of our health. The food industry is shaping the image of “food” from basic ingredients into synthetic and highly processed items. Food corporations have manipulated the kinds of foods we eat and highly advertise these products for their greater profits. These food industries create a convenient and economic factor to people because they are located close by the comfort of your own home, it doesn’t take long to get there, and it’s affordable. If you take a look in your neighborhood, you’ll find a fast food company on every block. It is no wonder that Americans today have a high obesity rate and it sadly continues to increase in young children as well. This in turn, can affect these kids not only physically, but psychologically as they grow older. Obesity leads to heart disease, sleeping and breathing problems, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. These food companies affect our daily living. Diabetes is a big health issue that we as a nation need to help control because diabetes is serious and it can eventually affect every system in our body.

augigi, CNS · Dec 11, 2006

I came across an interesting health news story today:
Depression Drugs May Cause Diabetes
FOXNews.com - Depression Drugs May Up Diabetes Risk - Diabetes | Symptoms | Diet | Type 2
We all know that antipsychotics can cause diabetes. According to this article, antidepressants may also. With 1/10 American women on antidepressants, this could spell trouble.

"We have to keep in mind that this occurred in a population at very high risk for diabetes so we don't know whether the findings would apply to the general population, but this should be explored further," says American Diabetes Association president Richard R. Rubin, PhD.

Jamesdotter · Oct 18, 2008

I also think better screening has found more and more people with diabetes than ever before. We find it more often now...so it could have been the same numbers of folks since the 60's or what not, but now we are catching it more via more education and screenings!

I agree. My (diabetic) brothers and I think our father, who died at 64 of an MI was probably diabetic--or at least had "metabolic syndrome". Four of his 6 sisters were diabetic as are 5 members of my generation. None of my nieces and nephews are--yet!

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Oct 20, 2008

I agree with the above posts on all the myriad ways one may become diabetic. Another consideration: there are more diabetics in the gene pool thanks to modern medicine. Type I's used to die off early. Type II's died of complications earlier. Mostly, however, I attribute it to our lifestyle.