Overweight Children Statistics

January 20th, 2010

The Causes of diabetes are still not fully understood. Neither are medical scientists able to explain why some people develop diabetes and others don’t. Certain factors have, however, been clearly identified which contribute to the development of diabetes. Is Diabetes Inherited?

Heredity is a major factor. That diabetes can be inherited has been known for centuries. However, the pattern of inheritance is not fully understood. Statistic indicates that those with a family history of the disease have a higher risk of developing diabetes than those without such a background. The risk factor is 25 to 33 percent more.

Children are most likely to develop diabetes if either or both parents are diabetes, or if the expectant mother became diabetic, or if the mother was a confirmed diabetic prior to conception. This may not always be true. It is possible for parents who were, or are diabetic and the other remains free from the disease.

It is, however, essential that the blood sugar level of an expectant mother who is diabetic be maintained within the normal range, so that diabetes is not passed on to her child. It the blood sugar level is kept under control, the infant may not have nay symptoms of inherited diabetes, but a risk factor cannot be ruled out.

One reason why diabetes, especially type-2 diabetes runs in the family is because of the diabetes gene. But even it is caused by genetic factors beyond your control; there is no reason to suffer from it. Diabetes mellitus cannot be cured in full sense of the term, but it can be effectively controlled so that you would not know the difference.

Intensive genetic research is currently underway to identify genes associated with both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. In a study sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of USA the relatives at risk of type-1 diabetes are being treated with low doses of either insulin or an oral medication to determine if drugs may prevent the disease.

Surveys show that in India diabetes is more prevalent among males than females. In this population, family history of diabetes mellitus was present in 5.5 to 11.6 per cent. Amongst diabetics, 18.3 per cent urban and 6.4 percent of rural population had a direct relative with diabetes. Therefore, genetic predisposition in India is comparable to that observed in other parts of the world.Diet: A Self inflicted Causes

Diabetes has been described by most medical scientists as a prosperity’ disease, primarily caused by systematic overeating. Not only is eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates harmful, but proteins and fats, which are transformed into sugar, may also result in diabetes if taken in excess.

Too much food taxes the pancreas and ultimately its normal activity of producing insulin gets paralyzed. It is interesting to note that diabetes is almost unknown in countries where people are poor and cannot afford to overeat.

The incidence of diabetes is directly linked with the consumption of processed foods rich in refined carbohydrates, like biscuits, bread, cakes chocolates, pudding and ice creams. In Britain, during the war when only whole wheat bread was available the incidence of diabetes dropped by 55 percent.

Parents should take great care to develop correct dietary habits in their children. Children should be prevented from becoming addicts to harmful foods like ice cream, cakes, jam, jelly, peppermint, chocolates and other sweets. The amount of food given to children should be such as would allow growth but not obesity. Children should be convinced about the importance of exercise and games and sports should be encouraged. Ideal body weight and a proportionate body is an almost certain guarantee against diabetes.The Obesity Trigger

Obesity is one of the main causes of diabetes. Studies show that 60 to 85 % of diabetics tend to be overweight. In the United States of America, about 80 percent of type –2 non-insulin dependent diabetics are reported to be overweight. During the Second World War, when there was a decrease in the average weight of the people, the incidence of diabetes came down dramatically. The greater the obesity, the greater is the mortality rate due to complications of diabetes.

Excess fat prevents insulin from working properly. The more fatty tissue in the body, the more resistant the muscle and tissue cells become to body insulin. Insulin allows the sugar in the blood to enter the cells by acting on the receptor sites on the surface of the cells. In obesity, where a person is overweight by 20 percent of the ideal weight or has high uric acid, or some syndromes, receptors are sparse and functionally idle. This is observed in patients developing diabetes around the age of 40 years, and having type-2 non-insulin dependent diabetes. It is estimated that the incidence of diabetes is four times higher in persons of moderate’s obesity and 3 times higher in persons of severe obesity. It has been rightly said; Heredity is like a cannon and obesity pulls and trigger.

Older people often tend to gain weight, and the same time, many of them develop and mild form of diabetes because who are over weight can often improve their blood sugar simply by losing weight. In some cases, it is all that is required to bring blood sugar back into the normal range. Even small weight loss can have beneficial effects, reducing blood sugar levels, or allowing medicines to work better. However, sudden gain in weight may cause diabetes to return. It is therefore important for older people to keep their weight down to normal. Among those detected to be diabetic, almost one third are overweight.Virus Infections

Pancreatic infections with Coxsackie’s B virus can result in beta cell damage, development of autoantibodies and, consequently, type-1 insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Some of these can be diagnosed by a viral antibody test and islet cell antibody test. Screening for antibodies can indicate potentially juvenile diabetes in a family on the basis of auto-immunity.The Lifestyle Risk

A sedentary lifestyle, resulting from lack of physical work and exercise, plays an improvement role in the development of diabetes. The less active a person, the greater the risk of developing diabetes. Modern conveniences have made work easier. Physical activity and exercise helps control weight, uses up a lot of glucose (sugar) present in the blood as energy and makes cells more sensitive to insulin. Consequently, the workload on the pancreas is reduced.

Exercise also adds to the muscles mass. Normally, between 70 percent to 90 percent of the blood sugar is absorbed into the muscles. A reduction in muscle mass-either due to age of physical inactivity—reduces the storage space for blood sugar, and it remains in the blood stream.Smoking: An Important Risk Factor

Smoking is another important risk factor. Among men who smoke, the risk of developing diabetes is doubled. In women who smoke 25 or more cigarettes a day, the risk of developing diabetes is increased by 40 percent. Smoking also reduces retinal blood flow and increases the risk of developing retinopathy. It also decreases insulin absorption and limits joints mobility. Smoking, in combination with diabetes, greatly enhances the likelihood of premature mortality. It also depends upon the number of cigarettes a day a person smokes and the number of years he has been smoking.Age

A risk of type-2 diabetes increases, as one grows older, especially above the age of 45 years. Part of the reason is that is people grow older, they tend to become less physically active, lose muscle mass and gain weight. With life styles becoming more sedentary, there has been an increase of diabetes among people in there 30s and 40s.Stress and Tension

Stress can be emotional or physical, such as a surgery or a serious infection, an accident or an emotional shock. Another very urban trait, the high stress lifestyle, not just amongst the young unwardly mobile, but increasingly in all walks of life, is a relatively new phenomenon in India. Since there is a known connection between stress and diabetes mellitus, those who are under stress and/or lead an irregular lifestyle, need to take adequate precautions and make necessary lifestyle adjustments.

Pancreatic insufficiency caused by stress, can lead to diabetes. Grief, worry and anxiety resulting from examinations, death of a close relative, loss of a joy, business failure and strained marital relationship, all a deep influence on the metabolism and may cause sugar to appear in the urine.Organic Disorders

Diabetes may be associated with some grave organic disorders like cancer, tuberculosis and cerebral diseases. Diabetes may also be caused by a variety of other factors. These include certain metabolic and genetic disorders, inadequate secretion of insulin by the pancreas, malfunctioning of other endocrine glands like thyroid, pituitary and adrenal, excessive consumption of alcohol and the use of the certain drugs. Race

Although the reasons are unclear, people of certain races are more likely to develop diabetes than others.

January 15th, 2010

The Atkins diet principles lay the foundation for a healthy, more balanced way of eating than the standard American diet. Its emphasis is on using good carbohydrates in balance with adequate protein. This is in stark contrast to what most Americans eat on a daily basis. The average American eats lots of processed foods that have hidden sugars and highly processed carbohydrates. This has put most Americans on the road to diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions. What is sad is that diabetes has a predictable set of stages and that they can be easily recognized. The road to diabetes has to do with something called the glycemic index. All carbohydrates are rated on this index with regards to the level of insulin reaction they produce. Foods that have a high glycemic index rating will cause your pancreas to release a lot of insulin to break down the amount of sugars and carbohydrates (which produce high amounts of glucose). The refined carbohydrates and sugars that make up the vast majority of the American diet rank very high on the glycemic index. We are able to more readily digest these foods as children, because our bodies function more efficiently in our youth. There may have been side effects, like weight gain and mood swings, but they didn’t stand out. As we age, however, these symptoms begin to grow and become more prevalent. The nation-wide obesity epidemic is a result of high-carbohydrate diets and unstable blood sugar levels. Many people who are overweight are also insulin resistant. Insulin resistance means that the insulin is not doing its job in removing glucose from the blood stream. The pancreas gets over worked and it releases massive amounts of insulin, sometimes 20 times more than the body actually needs. This results in the blood sugar dropping to extremely low levels. This sets off a chain reaction in the body that leads to a release of adrenaline to correct the blood sugar problem. With age, blood sugar and insulin difficulties become more aggravated. The condition is called “hyperinsulinism” and is a precursor for type II diabetes. It is normally accompanied by high blood pressure and high triglycerides. After years of using a high-carbohydrate diet, you will finally become fully diabetic. Insulin is the body’s primary fat creator and extra pounds usually accompany late onset diabetes. Pre-diabetic conditions, if not treated effectively, will lead to diabetes indefinitely. However, there are easily identifiable warning signs to diabetes that appear early. Your family doctor can perform insulin level tests that will let you know if you are at risk for pre-diabetic conditions, and studies show that low-carb diets like Atkins can help. Controlling your blood sugar is one of the most effective methods to controlling pre-diabetic conditions. The Atkins diet helps effectively control blood sugar. The combination of proteins, fats and good carbohydrates will keep your body satisfied without the roller coaster effect. Controlling carbohydrates in quantity as well as type will help limit the insulin spikes. This will let your pancreas work in the way that it was meant to be, and it will decrease the likelihood of your developing pre-diabetic conditions. It’s a vicious cycle that, if left unchecked, can lead to diabetes later in life. When the Atkins diet is followed effectively it produces stable blood sugar throughout the day and helps you stay off the road to diabetes.

January 9th, 2010

Psychological and emotional stress among mothers may trickle down to their kids and increase their children’s risk of having diabetes. Mothers who experienced a stressful event such as divorce, domestic violence, mental tension and work pressure have an increased risk of developing diabetes. Parents who are often stressed out or are having problems is the number one stressor among children. Without the parent’s knowledge, children may get stressed, raising level of cortisol-also called the “stress hormone”. Cortisol is found adjacent to the kidneys and is released in response to either physical or psychological stress. It breaks down muscle protein into its component amino acid which then circulates the bloodstream. These amino acids are used by the liver in the manufacture of glucose for energy increasing blood sugar level and at the same time lowering the use of glucose as fuel. The excess and deficiency of cortisol in the body may trigger some system disorders such as autoimmunity damaging the insulin-producing beta cells thus resulting in insulin deficiency. Children with diabetes who experience frequent episode of severe low blood sugar or hypoglycemia particularly at an early age may have reduced long-term memory performance than diabetic children who experience severe hypoglycemia at a later age. A diabetic children’s spatial memory performance may be greatly affected by episodes of extreme low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low level of glucose in the blood or low blood sugar. Anti-diabetic medicines that are taken orally by the mouth are effective as insulin injection in controlling symptoms of diabetes. The number of people with diabetes continues to rise while their ages at the time of diagnosis drop. Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult – onset diabetes, is now striking children, due largely to the obesity epidemic. Overweight and obese kids that present identifying symptoms like darkness around neck and armpits area are those who frequently get urinary tract infection (UTI). Diabetes if not properly managed can lead to many complications such as amputation and damage to key organs of the body like the eyes, kidney and the heart. It takes every ounce of restraints and discipline on the part of the patient to be able to follow the rigid diet and medication regimen required for the management of disease. Having diabetes requires careful examination of ones sugar level. Besides watching for sign of high blood sugar, they also have to be aware of warning signs of blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Using blood glucose meter, a person who has diabetes can tell his/her sugar level is low. Normal fasting blood sugar is 70 to 100 mg/dl.

December 21st, 2009

We all see the “daily” news reports that diseases linked to obesity that are increasingly lethal in the world today. The death totals for diseases related to obesity have increased by more than thirty percent in the last decade. Obesity contributes to heart disease, stroke and diabetes and do not forget that they contribute to a host of diseases, including arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported in a new study that self-reported diabetes has skyrocketed over the past six years. They also argue that obesity is the main cause of this dramatic increase. These groups most at risk are people older, less educated and minorities. Minorities are predisposed than white Caucasians to develop diabetes. The first study was done on a regional basis, the new study focused on the whole nation. The reports are alarming, and the CDC are concerned, there will be even more problems in the future. The surgeon general said that the number of obese or overweight adults in this country is fifty percent higher than it was just a decade ago. Children and young adults are increasingly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is mainly known as adult-diabetes, and hypertension is a problem with 24 percent of the population in children. Also studies show that one third of children born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes, which also leads to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney problems, and undermines the brain to function properly. Researchers have found that obesity can also disrupt the metabolism of insulin in the body. They found that being overweight the waistlines lead to an increased risk of developing diabetes and even cancer. An interesting fact that adults who ate fast food at least twice a week and gained ten pounds were more likely to develop diabetes. Fast-foods are not considered as part of a healthy eating pattern, although some fast-food franchises have been the introduction of fruits, salads and bottled water for more healthy choices. We now know that adults should not lose five to seven per cent of their body fat to reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease. This means that a 200-pound person would only have to lose a little as ten pounds to see benefits. A moderate change in lifestyle not only help reduce the risk of developing diabetes, but also an asset to your health in many other ways. Exercise also benefits circulation problems, heart problems, osteoporosis, and many other health problems. Marche moderate light and stretching routines are a good way to start an exercise program healthy. It is important to talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program. They will be able to guide you through the launch and provide effective ways to begin. Studies have shown that increasing your level of exercise, working up to 30 minutes per day, or having some form of moderate physical activity will bring good results. Even walking slowly, instead recommended brisk walking will give you many advantages. Mild resistance exercises or yoga routines are good ways to start an exercise program. Try parking your car farther in the parking lot when you go shopping. This adds some additional measures and if you do always stages of assembly. You want May to try to march in place during the television. Education is the key to prevent overweight and obesity in children and adults. Many of us do not understand the link between calorie intake, good and bad carbohydrates, and the ratio of protein and fat in their diet. Just understand what happens to food in your body consumes will help us stay healthy. See the results of obesity and diseases related to obesity are a good way to help us decide to start living a healthier lifestyle. Regular exercise and healthy eating will greatly reduce the risk of a disease related to obesity such as diabetes. As adults, we must take the initiative in our families to fight against this epidemic diseases related to obesity. We have the capacity to monitor what children eat, look at labels before buying a product at the store, and make meals and snacks for our families.

December 18th, 2009

Children with diabetes are becoming a major problem in this country and throughout the world. This childhood epidemic is growing. What is the problem? The trend is more and more. In 1999 13% -14% of boys and girls aged six to 19 were overweight. Over the past two decades, these figures have increased by 300%. More children have diabetes. That means probably more adults suffer from diabetes in the future? A large percentage (over 80%) of children and adolescents with diabetes are overweight. And this trend is more and more. We are less and less physical. Many of our activities are either on the computer, watch TV or play video games. It is so cool to have the latest and greatest cell phone with all the gadgets, or most updated software for those computers. With less movement is increased in circumference. Our children are waiting for us to show the way. As an adult, you can transmit the message to your children so that they can take advantage of what you’ve learned. The disease is the same as for adults as for children. If you eat healthy and exercise allows you to avoid the disease diabetes. If you have diabetes while eating a smart exercise is not an option. You must change and it is also true of your children.  Love you children at all costs. I know that sounds kind of corny, but if your child is overweight, he or she almost certainly knows that. Be there for her or him encouraging his excellent form eating habits. As fruit and vegetables. Avoid foods that cause diabetes as sugar, carbohydrates and foods that contain high levels of transportation and saturated fat. These are probably the foods that have brought on diabetes disease in the first place. Support your children, no matter what. Show them an abundance of love and care. If you live a healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to do the same thing as you. This will be beneficial for both of you. Create time together where you and your child can exercise. If you like to play a sport or as a work programme to see if you can get your child in the same program. This will create a partnership with your child that can last a lifetime. To help your child at this critical point in their lives is something that can improve your relationship forever. It includes an MP3 free by the diabetic Warrior to help you with a regime that can help. The diabetic Warrior lost over 100 pounds through diet and diabetes fight. I am very proud to be able to give you free MP3.