What Does Diabetes Mean To You Essay

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death listed in the United States. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. "In 1996 diabetes contributed to more than 162,000 deaths"(Lewis 1367).

People often do not realize how deadly and complicated diabetes is. When first diagnosed with diabetes patients may often be confused by how their lifestyle will have to change. Some patients may not even know how serious the complications may be. This information is to help not only the people who are affected by diabetes but also to inform everyone on how to help prevent the onset of diabetes.

According to Healthy People 2020 (2014), diabetes affects over 29 million people in the United States, with another estimated 28 percent of the population having undiagnosed cases. Of those at risk, African Americans are almost 2 times more likely to be diagnosed as opposed to their Caucasian counterparts. Many preventable associated factors include limited knowledge regarding disease processes, healthy diet, and limited knowledge of one’s own body. Our goal is to provide our African American community the opportunity to learn more about diabetes and how to reduce the risk of type II diabetes and signs and symptoms of diabetes during a community event.

Over the past few decades, there has been an increased concern about diabetes and its effects on minority populations. Type II Diabetes is also referred to as “adult onset diabetes”, and is a condition where the body does not regulate blood glucose effectively and resists insulin. This does not allow for glucose to get into the cells of fat tissue, the liver, and muscle cells and therefore they cannot function optimally. The National Center for Health Statistics reported that in 2012, African Americans had the highest amount of new reported cases of Type II diabetes when compared to all other racial and ethnic populations, and the second highest amount of overall diabetes diagnosis at 13.2%.1,2 In 2012, type II diabetes was the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and African Americans are nearly two times more likely to develop diabetes. More than 50% of all new diabetes cases are developed in African American populations, with a 27% higher mortality rate than Caucasians.1

     Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by inadequate insulin secretion by the pancreas or cellular destruction leading to an insulin deficiency. Depending on the cause of the insulin shortage, diabetes can be subcategorized into type I and type II. Type I diabetes (T1DM) is usually mediated by the destruction of b-cells in the pancreas resulting in decreased insulin production and secretion. Type II diabetes (T2DM) is the failure of these b-cells to secrete adequate amounts of insulin to compensate for insulin resistance and increased gluconeogenesis combined with an overall resistance to the insulin action (8., 1997). T2DM accounts

need for increased understanding of the economic, and societal seriousness of diabetes and its complications, and of the escalating costs to individuals, families, workplaces, society and governments.

Diabetes is a lifelong disease that can affect both children and adults. This disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It claims about 178,000 lives each year. Type one diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, usually occurs in people less than thirty years of age, but it also may appear at any age. Diabetes is a very serious disease with many life threatening consequences, but if it is taken care of properly, diabetics can live a normal life.

Type 1-diabetes deprives cells of the sugar that is need for energy in the cells. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin or not enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is involved in controlling how the body converts sugar into energy in our cells. Type 1-diabetes is not as common as type 2-diabetes. According to the University of Maryland type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 - 10% of all diabetes cases. Most cases of type 1-diabetes typically develop in childhood or adolescence and can happen in both boys and girls. However type 1-diabetes can occur at any age but is more prevalent in the younger population. (Diabetes - type 1, 2013) Type 1-diabetes is more common in whites than in other ethnic groups. According to the

Nearly 16 million people in the United States have diabetes, the disease classified as a problem with insulin. The problem could be that your body does not make insulin, does not make enough, or it simply does not know how to use it properly. Diabetes is also known as "diabetes mellitus".

Type II Diabetes or insulin resistance is the condition where the body makes insulin (hormone that is needed by the cells to turn glucose from the foods we eat into energy), but the body is unable to use it properly. To compensate for this, the pancreas produces more insulin. However, overtime the insulin accumulates in the blood which leads to various health complications (WebMD, 2013). Dietary teaching for Mr. Smith who has type 2 diabetes would include information on the recommended amount of foods to consume from the relative groups, the foods to limit or avoid if possible and alcohol consumption guidelines.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that poses major public health concerns for the Hispanic population. Hispanics are the largest minority ethnic group in the United States to have the highest rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes being at the top of the list. It is estimated that by the year 2025 there will be 333 million people affected by the chronic disorder. (Diaz, 2010). This is due to the rapid increase in various environmental and lifestyle trends that individuals live by everyday. Type 2 Diabetes mellitus, which is also known as hyperglycemia, is when the human body causes the blood glucose levels to rise higher than the normal. Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common forms of diabetes in the Hispanic population; this chronic disease

According to the American Diabetes Association, 4,658 americans are diagnosed with diabetes every day. This makes diabetes a more common disease than even cancer. However, with good food choices and healthy decision making, your risk of diabetes can be lowered. With government aid, this can become even easier to accomplish.

The American Heritage Dictionary definition of diabetes is "a chronic disease of pancreatic origin, marked by insulin deficiency, excess sugar in the blood and urine, weakness, and emaciation." When you have diabetes, your body cannot use the food that you eat in the proper way. In a person without diabetes, when he or she eats, the food is broken down into blood glucose or blood sugar. After the food is in the form of glucose, the glucose is carried to all the cells of the body for energy. In order for the cells to receive the glucose, a hormone made in the islet or B-cells of the pancreas called insulin acts a receptor on the cell membrane to let the glucose enter inside the cells. In contrast, in people with diabetes, the body does not

That feeling you get when you're a diabetic and your doctor comes in and gives you good news that you have been going well and your blood sugars are where they should be and when I find out there good it brings me pure excitement Being diabetic is a big thing in the world today and has caused a lot of problems for kids and even adults. It's a tough disease and very hard on people that get down on themselves. I know these things by experience; I've had diabetes for 15 years now since I was two years old, and I can say one thing, it sure is a tough disease. This can be challenging, but the results can be very rewarding by having more independence, learning new things about diabetes, and helps improve your life.

     Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin (Type One Diabetes) or can’t use available insulin efficiently ( Type Two Diabetes). Insulin is a hormone vital to helping the body use digested food for growth and energy.