Everyone wants to avoid diabetes. Diabetes is an issue that will affect everyone at one point in life, whether directly or indirectly. This newsletter will provide you with more information on diabetes and perhaps will lead to lifestyle changes that can help you, your friends, and family, avoid this terrible and mostly preventable disease.

A person with "adult-onset" diabetes (Type II) has high blood sugar levels because the cells of the body do not respond to insulin (they are "insulin-resistant"). Insulin is a hormone released from the pancreas and stimulates blood sugar uptake by cells of the body.

The cells then use this sugar for energy, however chronically elevated blood sugar levels can be unhealthy. In 1996, it was reported that the number of diabetes cases is going to double to 250 million worldwide by 2025. Type II diabetes is referred to as a lifestyle disease.

By lifestyle disease, this means that factors under our control are the primary factors behind the development of diabetes. The biggest risk factors are obesity, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition. These factors are promoted in Western society by the convenience and hectic schedule that seem to plague everyone.

The North American diet is full of processed foods with poor nutritive value. According to American Society of Bariatric Physicians, obesity has increased due to increased sugar consumption. Processed foods (i.e. white bread) quickly increase blood sugar and are referred to as high-glycemic index (GI) foods. The Nurses Health Study from Harvard examined 75000 nurses and found women eating more high-GI foods had twice the risk of heart disease. As well, high blood sugar levels may damage blood vessels and induce insulin resistance over time.

In addition, this sedentary lifestyle has led many to abandon daily exercise. Two hours in a car and 9 hours behind a desk (at least) are quite a contrast to the daily activities most people had as students. Again and again, authors state that changes in diet, exercise, and weight loss are the keys to treating and preventing diabetes. Authors recommend reducing processed food and sugar intake.

Avoid a "Mega-sized burger, fries, and pop" habit. Weight loss is a big help in avoiding diabetes as well. Losing 10% of excess fat can improve health. Researchers believe that diabetes is also a "skeletal muscle" disease and that people should go to the gym and resistance train. Lose fat. Add muscle.

On a disease-related exercise note, research has also shown that intense aerobic exercise prevents heart disease. The key was intensity and not duration. They found that people that performed 15 min of hard aerobic exercise a couple of times a week had less heart disease (Harvard Alumni Health Study, Circulation 102: 975-986, 2000). So lift, work hard, eat proper and in moderation, and you will increase your odds of long-lasting good health.

Okay, that is enough preaching. There will always be people that can smoke, drink, eat poorly, and not exercise and still live to 90 years of age. However, statistics suggest that more people will be getting ill due to their lifestyle choices. Fortunately, the stats show that this can be avoided and even treated with lifestyle changes. Make the necessary changes and read more on how lifestyle interacts with diabetes.