Mature Fashion: The ENEMY, Type II Diabetes

Although type II diabetes may be genetic, incurred by external factors such as stress, etc, the largest single predictor of type II diabetes is being overweight or clinically obese. According to the CDC AND The National Institute of Diabetes, almost 90% of people living with type II diabetes are medically overweight or obese. 

During the 1990's, the number of diabetes cases among American adults increased by over 30%, and is predicted to further increase by their projections.  This increase is attributed to the growing numbers of persons suffering from obesity in this United States.

Despite what a few persons on Facebook or such "popular" advice, type II diabetes is largely preventable, (no, not every single one).  Repeated studies have found that even small amounts of weight loss (5-10%) can prevent and/or delay onset of this type of diabetes among high-risk adults.

Although it is not "popular" to make this statement (many overweight people do not want to hear this!!), there is a lot one can do to prevent or delay the development of this type of diabetes (Non of this applies to type I; a different disorder )  To date, effective weight management is the most effective thing a woman (a man, too) can do to prevent the development of diabetes; effective weight management is moderate to intense physical exercise accompanied by reducing stress and eating a healthy diet. 

Recommended: "keep moving" activities such as the popular 10K steps per day or 150 minutes per week of brisk walking, etc.  Another popular rule of thumb is that for every hour one sits or is stationary, 15 minutes of moving around-ideally, for every 20 minutes sitting, a 5 minute walk-about is recommended.

I am a type II diabetic; I became one when I had a weight gain of over fifty pounds, was under a lot of stress, and had difficulty getting enough sleep. Because I KNOW from first hand experience that following the guidelines for appropriate diabetes II management can and do work.  I am also certain that had I not had been so overweight at the time I probably would not have succumbed to diabetes.  It troubles me a great deal to see what is happening to the general population's rise in obesity.

Diabetes waits to strike many of us when we are over 40 and also have other physical issues.  It is so important to prevent diabetes, or at least delay it.   It especially disturbs me to see and hear so many "pooh-pooh" healthy eating and exercise habits as a preventive measure.  The entire "Rock My.." series is based on looking and feeling "good" so we can "Rock" age!!