The Truth About Diabetes

Diabetes Awareness month was this past November, and disappointingly there was not much awareness about it. So here are the top 5 most common yet unknown facts about the disease.

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Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, but not many people know what that means for people who have it.

By Jaclyn Rodriguez, Staff Writer

Do you know when Breast Cancer Awareness Month is? How about Black Heritage Month? The answer is, you most likely do. This is because these are widely known issues that affect thousands in today’s world, and these months are provided to raise awareness to the problems that they still face. However, did you know that almost 30 million people in the United States suffer from diabetes?  November, Diabetes Awareness Month, came and went without any recognition to the disease. In light of this information, I want to provide a list of facts about diabetes that most people may not know.

1.There IS a difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

The difference is typically categorized by type 2 occurring in adults and type 1 occurring in young adults or children, and although this is true there is a more scientific method to tell the difference. Diabetes is the body’s inability to produce insulin, type 1 is the lack of insulin being produced by the pancreas whereas type 2 is the body’s ineffective use of insulin.

2.  Diabetes IS very common

At the moment, 422 million people around the world suffer from diabetes, and the rate has been growing over the past 3 decades. Unfortunately, the illness has been growing the most in low to middle-income countries, and out of the millions of people who have it, many are not diagnosed and unaware of their conditions.

3. Diabetes is NOT developed by being overweight or obese

Although being overweight may increase the risk, it is not the only factor. Many people who are overweight do not develop diabetes, often times it is more likely the cause of a family history of diabetes, ethnicity, or age.

4. People with diabetes CAN still eat sugar or candy

Although eating healthy is important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, people with diabetes can still eat sweets in moderation. In addition, there is no special food diabetic people need to eat, a healthy meal for them is typical of a normal healthy meal.

5. Eating too much sugar does NOT cause diabetes

Diabetes is mostly caused by genetics, lifestyle choices, and other unknown factors. However, doctors typically recommend people avoid drinks with too much sugar because over-consumption of sugar can increase the risks.