The Role of Sugar and Insulin in Weight Gain Essay

According to the American Diabetes Association (2016), more Americans die each year from diabetes than from AIDS and breast cancer combined. As a result, researchers have extensively studied the causes, treatments, and interventions for diabetes. Despite efforts to ameliorate its effects, diabetes remains a prevalent danger in society. In 2014, 7% of U.S. adults were living with diagnosed diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). In Louisiana that number was even higher - 10.4% of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes. Breaking it down by age group, however, in Louisiana 3% of people aged 18 and 44 have been diagnosed, and 15.2% of people 45-64. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015a). Several studies have predicted future rates of diabetes, both in the United States and worldwide - nearly all of these studies reached a similar conclusion: rates of diabetes will continue to rise (Boyle et al., 2001).

There are plenty of reasons and research studies that show how destructive sugar can be for your health if not managed properly, “and unfortunately our standard American Diet is anything but balanced.”(Konie 1) Americans don’t manage their sugar levels, let alone manage their sugar intake. The exponential growth of obesity in underway and the main cause. Sugar. Many people don’t understand this but sugar is perfectly fine as long as you can control it, many also don’t realize just, “how dangerous the extremes can be.”(Konie 1)

Todays people are quick to blame dieting problems on sugar, saying "I cant avoid it!!" or "Theirs sugar in everything." Turns out dieting is not the greatest problem. Heart Disease is one most common problems with eating sugar. People who consume more than the average 30 grams (1.0 oz.) of sugar a day are more likely to contract this disease.

Comparatively, sugar is not necessarily essential to human survival. It has other draws for humans though, due to the addictive effects that it has, and its ability to sweeten even the blandest foods. Although sugar has been present in diets before hand, “by

However, other indicators for the rise of obesity may include: diet, exercise, and changes in a person’s lifestyle. Sugars produce energy in the form of calories providing building blocks for other molecules in, which the body requires such as fats and proteins. Other benefits it provides other than as a sweetener consist of: texture, functions as a preservative, helps with brown baked foods, provides fermentable sugars, retains moisture, decreases the harsh vinegar or acid bite, regulates melting, boiling, and frizzing points in certain products (“About High Fructose Corn Syrup,”

Having well-maintained glycemic control is the most important aspect of controlling diabetes. Most individuals know that diabetes may cause hyperglycemia, which is an elevated blood sugar, and hypoglycemia, which is a low blood sugar. However, being diagnosed with diabetes not only affects a

Additional Questions to be Answered: 1. Why is Type 2 Diabetes an issue in our Community

The main argument to be made here is that the only kind of sugars we should consume are natural sugars. Too much food these days contain high fructose corn syrup and other additives that our bodies can't handle. Some good natural sugars include ripe fruit and raw honey. Our bodies need natural sugar in order to function properly because, "when our cells don't have enough glucose to do their job they find alternative means by which to get their energy, particularly through fat or even our own body tissue. Always remember to be careful, though, as too much of anything is still bad.

The body regulates the blood glucose levels by producing insulin. Insulin is a chemical messenger essential for the entry of glucose into a cell. When the pancreas fails to produce insulin that is sufficient to use, the level of glucose in the blood will remain high. If to much insulin is produced, or given through medication, the level of glucose in the blood will remain low. In type 2 diabetes the cells become resistant to insulin and ignore its message to be absorbed into the cells, this is known as insulin resistance. Insulin deficit results in decreased transportation of glucose from cells in the body, hyperglycemia then arises causing to much glucose to be present in the bloodstream (Gould and Dyer, 2011: 550). The pancreas is located

Added sugars have been linked to the high levels of obesity in adults, and primarily children. While the levels of added sugar consumption has steadily increased, so has the prevalence of obesity and chronic health problems associated with obesity.

Richards is writing the article to discuss the fact “too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick”. The position Richards is taking in this article is: sugar can be debilitating and is “the public enemy”.

Normally, blood glucose levels are tightly controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin lowers the blood glucose level. When the blood glucose elevates insulin is released from the pancreas to normalize the glucose level by promoting the uptake of glucose into the body cells. Diabetes is chronic medical condition, meaning that although it can be controlled, it lasts a

In all of the aforementioned cases, diet is a huge factor in controlling the levels of glucose found in the blood. When dealing with Diabetes Mellitus it is important to

is generally defined as no more than two drinks a day for men and one

People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their body cannot move sugar into the fat, liver, and muscle cells to be stored for energy. This happens because their pancreas does not make enough insulin or their body does not respond to insulin normally (Definition of Insulin).