Dinners for Life shines a spotlight on diabetes during American Diabetes Month

Every November America focuses attention on diabetes.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nearly 24 million Americans currently have diabetes and every 24 hours more than 4000 new cases are diagnosed.  About 60 million Americans have the condition of prediabetes, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes (people with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes).  The good news is we can make a difference by making modest lifestyle changes such as eating healthier, getting more physical activity and losing some weight.

What is diabetes?  Diabetes is when too much sugar is circulating in the blood stream.  The increase in blood sugar (also called blood glucose) occurs because the body can’t get glucose into the cells so it builds up in the blood.  It is caused by a problem with how the body makes and or uses insulin, a hormone that allows glucose (sugar) to enter cells and be converted to energy.

Why is diabetes increasing everywhere around the world, including America?  Poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles and obesity are all factors leading to the rise of diabetes.  Health experts teach us that eating healthy food in the right amounts helps reduce the risk of developing diabetes and also helps achieve or maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugars and manage the complications of diabetes.

The good news is that with increased awareness we can slow the growth of diabetes in America as well as help those who already have diabetes live healthier lives. There is also hope in knowing that the progression from prediabetes to diabetes is not inevitable. Losing a modest amount of weight (around 5 %) and getting moderate physical activity (about 15-20 minutes per day) reduces the risk of developing diabetes by nearly 60 percent!

To get information about how Dinners for Life can help Americans eat healthy for diabetes go to www.DinnersforLife.com.  For more detailed information about diabetes go to the Health and Wellness section of the Dinners for Life web site at  http://dinnersforlife.com/main.php?static=healthandwellness.