The Relationship Between Obesity, Diabetes And The Heart

The Relationship Between Obesity, Diabetes and the Heart

We have been told one too many times that being overweight or obese is bad, but did you know the extent of damage obesity has on your health?
Obesity significantly increases your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, and these conditions are also intimately intertwined with heart disease. For instance, an obese person’s risk of a heart attack is 3 times greater than that of a person who has a healthy weight.
Obesity vs overweight
Although we have been using these two words interchangeably, there is a subtle difference in their medical definitions.
Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it might have a negative impact on their health. This is different from being overweight, where the weight may come from muscle, bone, fat or body water.
If you weigh at least 20% more than your ideal weight, you are considered obese. To calculate your ideal weight, health professionals have suggested using your body mass index (BMI) as a rough indicator. If your BMI is 30 or above, you are considered obese.
Do keep in mind that this is a very rough gauge and having a higher than normal BMI does not necessarily mean you are unhealthy. Imagine bodybuilders! They are constantly building muscle, which means they are also putting on weight but it does not mean that their health is at stake.
Obesity can happen for many different reasons, such as consuming too many calories, leading a sedentary lifestyle and getting insufficient sleep. But regardless of the reason, being obese puts one in danger of certain illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pre Continue reading

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Diabetes 2030: Insights from Yesterday, Today, and Future Trends

Diabetes and its complications, deaths, and societal costs have a huge and rapidly growing impact on the United States. Between 1990 and 2010 the number of people living with diabetes tripled and the number of new cases annually (incidence) doubled.1 Adults with diabetes have a 50% higher risk of death from any cause than adults without diabetes, in addition to risk for myriad complications.2 Reducing this burden will require efforts on many fronts—from appropriate medical care to significant public health efforts and individual behavior change across the nation, through state- and community-specific efforts. Public awareness is a key first step. For this purpose, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases national diabetes statistics every 2 years, providing a point-in-time picture of diabetes for the country as a whole. However, state and metropolitan diabetes forecasts with projections several years into the future also are useful as health professionals and decision makers contemplate actions to address the diabetes epidemic. Therefore, the Institute for Alternative Futures (IAF) has prepared 2015, 2020, 2025, and 2030 diabetes forecasts for the entire United States, every state, and several metropolitan statistical areas, all of which are easily accessible on the Internet.3
This study shows how past trends, current data, and future projections provide valuable insights about the possible course of diabetes. Continue reading

5 Important Steps for Type 2 Diabetes Foot Care

Good foot care is very important when you have type 2 diabetes. Your feet can be where long-term complications of diabetes cause problems. One of the dangerous complications is neuropathy , nerve damage which in turn causes numbness and tingling in your feet. Because the nerve is damaged, you may not be able to feel a cut or sore on your foot. If you aren't looking for signs of foot problems you may not notice it in time to treat it early. This can increase your risk for infections in your feet.
Because there is decreased circulation with neuropathy, infections can be very difficult to treat. Gangrene is a very serious complication of infection. It causes the death of the infected tissue which can lead to amputation.
To keep your feet healthy, these five steps are critically important when you have type 2 diabetes.
Since neuropathy can make it difficult to feel injuries and sores to your feet, it's imperative to check your feet every day. Give them a close inspection in the morning before you put your socks and shoes on. Look closely at any possible wear spots like the backs of heels and sides of feet. Carefully check between your toes and the entire bottom surface of your feet. If it's difficult for you to see the bottom of your feet, use a mirror or have a family member check them for you.
Make sure to wash your feet daily with soap and water and dry them thoroughly. A daily cleaning can help you detect trouble spots before they turn serious. Keeping your feet clean will wash away any small irritants or debris that might have been picked up on the soles of your feet. It's Continue reading

The Cost of Diabetes: Diabetes Blog Week 2017 // Day 2

It’s been almost two years and my heart still aches for a person I never actually got to meet.
I met Ish online in a Facebook group for people struggling with diabulimia. Immediately, I was attracted to her quick wit, irreverent sense of humor, and beautiful blue eyes. This girl was the definition of a spitfire but in the absolute best way imaginable. I respected her honesty and treasured her ability to lighten the mood with a single quip or clever remark. I’ve never met anyone quite like her and I honestly doubt I ever will.
Within the diabulimia community, there were several girls, including myself, who hit it off seemingly instantaneously in a special way. I’m not exactly sure how to pinpoint the manifestation of this particular friend group but I do remember realizing that I had found that sense of belonging I had been so long searching for. With a mutual appreciation for all things Harry Potter and Mean Girls related, it wasn’t long before we had a nice little circle of ladies all looking out for each other. It became more than just about diabetes or our similar struggles with disordered eating behavior patterns. We talked about our dreams, our fears, our families, and our relationships. Our lives became entangled and it was that common experience of struggling that solidified the bonds we shared. Even within that group of girls, I felt a particular kinship to Ish. We were absolutely meant to be friends despite our geographical limitations and we often romanticized about meeting up someday.
Hailing from Scotland, the land of my ancestral roots, I felt pulled to Continue reading

Employment and Type 1 Diabetes

Note: This article is part of our Daily Life library of resources. To learn more about the many things that affect your health and daily management of Type 1, visit here.
The Dos and Don’ts of Employers
As a person with Type 1, you are protected under several laws in the United States from discrimination on the job. It is important to get a clear overview of how you are protected so that you can make sure you are being treated fairly and equally. Here is a breakdown of how you are protected:
An employer is not allowed to do the following actions:
Fail to hire or promote you because of your Type 1
Terminate you because of your Type 1 (unless you pose a “direct threat”)
An employer must to the following actions:
Provide you with reasonable accommodations that help you perform the essential functions of your job
Not discriminate with regard to employer-provided health insurance
Interviews: Is it better to disclose?
There’s no law that requires you to disclose your diabetes, and employers aren’t allowed to ask about your medical background before offering you a job. Even if you choose to disclose your diabetes to your employer, your employer is required to keep that information confidential. Some job offers may depend on your ability to pass a medical evaluation after the initial offer, such as police officers or firefighters. However, these results will only affect your offer if they prevent you from doing your job or put your coworkers at risk.
Whether or not you talk about your diabetes is up to you. However, if your employer doesn’t know about your diabetes, you Continue reading