While lazing in front of the TV lately, you may have noticed a government campaign about the risks of Type 2 diabetes. If you thought this campaign wasn't directed at you, think again!
Today, Australian adults are at a high risk of developing diabetes from poor lifestyle factors such as being overweight and inactive and smoking. These factors can increase your chance of developing diabetes, 3 to 10 fold!
Pilbara Health readers have taken note of this with almost 70% of respondents from last month's web poll indicating they had made changes to their lifestyle to avoid the risk of adult diabetes. The two most common types of diabetes are Type 1 (insulin dependant) and Type 2 (lifestyle induced or non-insulin dependant). Type 2 diabetes accounts for 85 - 90% of all diabetes cases, and can often develop gradually with symptoms going unnoticed. The main indicators are:
The two main causes of Type 2 diabetes are obesity and family history. Often, our genetic make up can predispose us to certain diseases that are exacerbated by lifestyle factors such as poor diet and inadequate exercise. These risk factors are lifestyle choices that can be modified to significantly reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is not a soft disease as it can lead to serious problems such as kidney failure, blindness, and neurological problems.
You can help prevent Type 2 diabetes by making some simple lifestyle changes. By simply losing weight, insulin levels can normalize without medical intervention and regular physical activity improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
If you have a family history of Type 2 diabetes or have any of the above symptoms outlined, contact your doctor for a simple test.
Check out the health calendar for more tips on minimising your risk of diabetes.
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