The diabetes epidemic is worsening

Is your spare tyre getting bigger? If so, you may be becoming part of the trend towards diabetes which starts with the increasing abdominal fat.

Global statistics show the diabetes epidemic is getting worse, according to officials from the International Diabetes Federation and the European Association for Study of Diabetes. International data suggests that one person dies from diabetes every two seconds somewhere in the world.

It is well known that diabetes type II is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, heart attack, stroke, breast and prostate cancer, hypertension, cholesterol, depression, erectile dysfunction, migraine, gout and kidney failure, amongst other things. Diabetes type II is the Western lifestyle epidemic disease.

Interventions to combat diabetes

Many countries and healthcare systems are looking at urgent research into improved healthcare models and even drugs. However, we must look at the fundamental causes of this condition and deal with them.

Why is it that some cultures have a very low incidence of diabetes? It is well documented that the disease was relatively rare in China. However, it has now increased significantly as the Chinese are adopting the Western diet.

Interventions by individuals need to be focused on diet, exercise, stress management and lifestyle, as well as toxicity in the environment.

Tips for waist weight loss

Here are some tips to help those who have difficulty losing weight from around their waist.

• Be in bed and asleep by 10.30pm. Because melatonin increases when you go to bed earlier, there are fewer inflammatory messengers which contribute to retention of weight around the waist. Leptin, which tells the body when it has had enough to eat, also increases when you’ve had enough sleep.
• The diet needs to be devoid of sugar, starch and processed foods, because they add bulk to the diet with only a little nutritional value. You need to eat adequate protein in the form of nuts, beans, meat, some cheeses, fish and chicken, etc., as well as plenty of vegetables and some fruit, but not too much.
• Primitive man was said to have walked 12kms a day. Getting exercise back into the lifestyle is very important. Exercise in small doses works, you don’t need to have a huge amount of exercise all at once. So take the stairs at work or park the car a bit further away.
• Managing stress is very important, because chronic daily stress increases inflammation messengers in the body that make you fat around the waist and affect your health. Stress affects many aspects in the body, including hormone levels, vitamin levels and even gut bacteria and gastric acid.
• Avoid pollution. It is known that persistent organic pollutants within the environment can contribute to keep fat in the body, as these pollutants and chemicals are stored in the fat. This may be a reason why some people have difficulty losing fat.
• Correct any deficiencies, possibly by taking supplements of Vitamin B12, iron, zinc and magnesium. Special nutrients such as magnesium, chromium, zinc and fish oil can help the body to manage sugar better.
• Correct any hormone imbalances. This can include thyroid in both sexes, testosterone in men and women, and progesterone mainly in women.
• Sometimes the doctor can give a drug called metformin which helps the body to make less insulin and manage glucose better. It even helps reduce cancer and prevents weight gain.
• Alpha lipoic acid is a substance that recycles Vitamin C and your antioxidant vitamins. It has a special role in weight loss and in diabetes.

Diabetes epidemic affects us all

The diabetes type II epidemic is affecting everybody. We all know somebody with a pot tummy that cannot come off no matter how they try to lose weight. These friends or relatives are at increased risk of serious health problems. Simple diet and lifestyle interventions can help people to reverse these risks.

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