Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes
This type of diabetes accounts for 90-95% of diabetes cases. Patients with type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cell receptors have become resistant to insulin. Their body must therefore produce more and more insulin in order to 'unlock' the cells so that they can extract the glucose from the blood stream. Eventually, type 2 diabetics get to the point where they cannot produce enough insulin to reduce the glucose in their blood stream.
The disease affects 15-20% of those over sixty. A large number of adults have the disease but are undiagnosed. It is usually discovered during a physical check-up following complaints of an infection such as a urinary, skin or chest problems.
Type 2 diabetes can be managed through weight reduction and diet control or through tablets. Although there is an inherited predisposition to the disease in 80% of cases, it is brought about by being overweight, a lack of exercise and a diet high in high glycaemic index carbohardrates (white bread, white rice, sugar and fruit).
Weight management, exercise and a diet low in sugars, fructose and processed carbohydrates are acknowledged to be important as avoidance techniques.
More alarming is the recent trend of type 2 diabetes cases occurring in children. This is thought to be due to the prevalence of childhood obesity, combined with the lack of exercise that overweight children take and the diet they follow that is high in sugar and carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index.
Next.... [Gestational Diabetes]