To Your Health
January, 2011 (Vol. 05, Issue 01) |
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By 2050, Will 1 in 3 Americans Suffer From Diabetes?
By Editorial Staff
Forty years from now, what will you be doing? Whatever your age by then, do you think you will be enjoying life? Chances are life won't be easy if you're one of the millions expected to be suffering from diabetes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, between one in three and one in five U.S. adults will be diabetics by the year 2050. If we consider the one-in-three estimate, that means nearly 80 million adults will suffer from a condition whose symptoms range from unusual thirst, hunger, weight loss and fatigue to frequent infections, blurred vision, tingling/numbness of the hands/feet and slow wound healing. In the worst-case scenario, diabetes can lead to deep skin ulcers necessitating limb amputation, blindness, stroke, kidney disease and eventual death.
Not a pretty picture, is it? Certainly not what you envision for you or your children within 40 years. Fortunately, there is a simple strategy to help reduce your risk of developing diabetes in the vast majority of cases: According to the American Diabetes Association, "You can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through a healthy lifestyle. Change your diet, increase your level of physical activity, maintain a healthy weight ... with these positive steps, you can stay healthier longer and reduce your risk of diabetes." Your doctor can give you information on diabetes prevention and assess your risk. Do it today.
