Please need your input with diabetes project for tomorrow.

Peeps Mcarthur · May 26, 2003

I don't have any ideas for props, but for impact you could draw a paralell between diet and rates of DM in different countries.

An argument could be made that there are an overwhelming number of pre-diabetics in this country due to our dependence on refined sugar in our diets and predisposition of alelles in our gene pools.

I think it's a disease that you will see increase unfortunately.

purplemania, BSN, RN · May 26, 2003

You might as well had a LARGE plastic bag full of water to represent dialysis, sunglasses to represent blindness, wheelchair to represent heart failure and emesis basin to represent the nausa caused by gastroparesis. Diabetes is ugly stuff.

Audreyfay · May 26, 2003

One key to Type 2 diabetes is the concept of insulin resistance. That helps to somehwat explain why diabetes has becom rampant. As a person gaiins weight, their insulin resistance increases, thus requiring the pancreas to make more insulin. For people who are genetically inclined to develop diabetes, the pancreas can no longer keep up, thus hyperglycemia. When I teach my classes, I have little beanie babies and illustrate with them the burnt out pancreas, the hungry muscle (insulin resistance), and the hyperactive liver (increase of glucose production by the liver, causing higher blood sugars.) When discussing weight and insulin resistance, I use a plump beanie babie, and demonstrate how losing some weight ---even 5% of total weight desired to lose, will decrease insulin resistance, causing better blood sugars. It can possibly result in a decrease or elimination of diabetes medications in type 2 diabetes. Good luck with your project. Nothing like waiting for the last minute? :)

tgfnurses · May 27, 2003

Thank you all for your input. I will keep you guys updated and tell you how I did.

SmilingBluEyes · May 27, 2003

GOOD LUCK!