According to the Center for Disease Control almost 11% of the adult population in the United States has been diagnosed with either type-1 or type-2 diabetes. An additional 57 million people have pre-diabetes which is a condition when average blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. Both of these populations total 81.6 million people in the US that have diabetes or are at risk for a diabetes diagnosis if their lifestyles are not changed. The agency projects that as many as 1 in 3 adults will have diabetes by 2050 which equates to 39 million people. The majority, 90% to 95%, of these individuals have type-2 diabetes.
Taking Control
Although these statistics indicate a significant epidemic, the outlook for individuals does not have to be a hopeless one. Unlike other chronic illnesses, diabetes allows individuals to take control of their lifestyle and make significant impacts on their quality of life. By taking control and incorporating healthy habits into one's daily life, one can significantly minimize the risk of diabetes complications which can include eye complications, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, sexual dysfunction, and extremity amputation. For some individuals there is even a possibility of reversing diabetes.
The Diabetes Lifestyle
So what does a healthy diabetes lifestyle consist of? First, for many it involves the elimination of unhealthy habits such as smoking, excessive drinking, overeating, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Second, it involves the incorporation of healthy lifestyle habits into one daily life that includes a low carbohydrate and low sugar diet, exercise, glucose monitoring, a medication regimen, consistent visits to a medical team and constant learning about the disease and its lifestyle.
Even though individuals with diabetes can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes complications by adhering to a healthy lifestyle, very few individuals do. For example, 70% of the individuals with type-2 diabetes are considered overweight and their diabetes diagnosis is correlated with their being overweight. For many of these individuals, losing weight can reverse a type-2 diabetes diagnosis. Given this, diabetes continues to grow with almost 90% of the diagnosis' being type-2.
So why is it difficult for individuals to make healthy lifestyle changes and significantly impact diabetes complications and quality of life? The answer is complicated and it may involve practical and emotional dynamics which include knowledge and acceptance. A research study concluded that 95% of diabetes care is considered self-care. That means that only 5% of diabetes care is provided by a medical team and the remaining 95% of the care must be provided by the individual with diabetes and their families. In general, self-care consists of making significant lifestyle changes that include the elimination of unhealthy behaviors and the integration of healthy behaviors. This may mean giving up favorite foods, stopping smoking, and starting an exercise program For many learning the diabetes lifestyle and incorporating it into one's life can be an overwhelming and emotional endeavor. It is no wonder that many people with diabetes are not motivated to make such significant lifestyle changes.
Support
How can individuals be supported through this transition to a healthy diabetes lifestyle and how can one become motivated to learn and live a diabetes lifestyle? Countless studies have been conducted on the correlation between depression and diabetes. Depression has been identified as a significant factor why individuals do not adhere to a healthy diabetes lifestyle, even though the benefits are compelling. Other emotional struggles also appear to interfere with one's motivation to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments, such as fear, anger, sadness and denial. The process of developing motivation can be emotional as one works through these emotional dynamics. Trained counseling professionals at the Colorado Counseling and Wellness Institute can provide support and guidance to help individuals move towards acceptance and develop motivation to live a healthy life with diabetes. Diabetes is being called a lifestyle disease, and hopefully if all Americans can begin to live a healthy lifestyle, the diabetes trend will starting moving down.
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