What Causes Type II Diabetes?
Sadly, type II diabetes is a common disease across the globe and the number of people affected continues to grow. Although it’s not a contagious disease, it seems to be becoming an epidemic. As such, it can not only debilitate its victims, but it can be fatal if not detected early and controlled properly.
Chances are, you know someone who suffers from diabetes. However, it’s important to clarify that there are two types of diabetes:
- Type I diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes and type 1 diabetics must inject insulin every day.
- Type II diabetes is most often caused by poor lifestyle choices. People whose diets are poor due to lack of time, money or proper information tend to develop this disease.
Type II diabetes explained
Up until a few years ago, only adults suffered from this disease. In fact, it was known as adult diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body’s cell start to resist insulin and it stops being so effective in the body. A decline in the levels of insulin in the pancreas also occurs.
When these two factors cause blood sugar levels to increase considerably, hyperglycaemia is the outcome – and it can cause significant long-term damage to the kidneys and heart. Blindness, wounds that won’t heal and scarring are all problems that arise in a state of hyperglycaemia. And, these days, it’s all too common to see teenagers and children develop this disease.
A cure has not yet been found, but with the proper treatment and close supervision by your GP – along with a drastic lifestyle change (especially where diet is concerned) – people with type II diabetes can learn to control and live reasonably well with this disease, which will be with them for life.
Primary causes of type II diabetes
In most cases, this type of diabetes is the result of a poor diet and a lack of exercise.
Over 90 per cent of those who suffer from type II diabetes are overweight. In most of those people, the weight is concentrated around the stomach. This makes them more prone to diabetes.
If you’re overweight and you don’t exercise regularly, you won’t burn extra calories. This, again, considerably increases your risk of developing diabetes. Additionally, there are genetic factors that play a role in diabetes. If someone in your family has the disease, you’d be advised to take precautions to minimise the risk.
If you’re the sort of person who craves and eats carbohydrate-heavy and sugar-rich foods often, you’re less likely to consume enough fruits and vegetables. This means that you’re a perfect candidate for diabetes.
It’s so easy these days to fall into bad habits. Junk food is easily accessible and cheap. We often just want to fill up as quickly as possible without considering how our choices can negatively (and severely) affect our health. Try to be more mindful about what you eat. Every bit of effort you make toward a healthier diet will definitely protect you from this disease and improve your health in general if you already have the condition.
If you don’t look after yourself, who will? Stay conscious about the consequences of this disease on your health. After all, it’s not pretty. You could experience a progressive deterioration of vision; kidney failure; limb amputation due to poor circulation and many other problems. This disease can be deadly and it won’t stop if people don’t take control of their lives. Each day the number of people affected grows. This should alarm us all.
Now that you know the main causes of diabetes, we hope that you’ll be encouraged to change your ways. Cultivate healthy habits for you and those you love. You can mitigate much of the damage type II diabetes can cause and, in many cases, prevent it!
