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Diabetes & You® Walgreens

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By Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, LD/N

“I feel so guilty. My friends kept telling me that I would get diabetes if I ate too much candy. Well, I didn’t stop and now I have type 2 diabetes. I can’t believe I did this to myself!” —Cindy

Should Cindy blame her sweet tooth for her diabetes? No. Diabetes is a complex condition. It is not caused by eating a few candy bars. Most experts believe that type 2 diabetes is caused by two factors: family history and environment.

Family History

We know that being overweight and being less active are risk ­factors for type 2 ­diabetes. So why don’t all overweight, less active people have diabetes? Either they haven’t developed it yet or do not have a family history of diabetes. The potential for getting diabetes is passed down from generation to generation. If you have relatives with diabetes, you are more likely to have it.

Your family heritage also can play a role. Individuals who are of African-American, Latino, Native-American, Asian-American or Pacific Islander descent, have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than ­others.

The Environment

If you can’t locate a family link, that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Your relatives may have been able to avoid developing diabetes because they were protected by their environment. Years ago, life was quite different. People were more physically active and made better food choices. They didn’t eat fast foods or tempting packaged desserts. They walked a lot and did heavy labor. We know that regular physical activity and being at a healthy weight can delay or even prevent type 2 diabetes. Those people who lived then weighed less and had very active lifestyles that may have helped them avoid diabetes.

It also is possible that your family member did have type 2 diabetes, but didn’t know it. Medical care has changed over the years. In the past, people didn’t go to the doctor as often and usually were not tested for type 2 diabetes unless they had symptoms.

6 Steps to Take

Don’t blame yourself for your diabetes, but don’t ignore it either. Take action to improve your health. Learn all you can about diabetes by trying one or more of the following:

  1. Attend a local diabetes class. These classes usually are held at local hospitals and community centers.
  2. Visit diabetes-related Web sites, such as www.diabetes.org, the official Web site of the American Diabetes Association and www.joslin.org, the site of the Joslin Diabetes Center.
  3. Watch health-related programs on television.
  4. Read diabetes-related magazines and books.
  5. Change your food habits. Meet with a dietitian to learn how to make healthier food choices. Don’t be afraid to make diabetes-friendly meals for the entire family. A diabetes meal plan is healthy for everyone and you may help your children and grandchildren lower their risk for diabetes, as well.
  6. Increase your activity level. Limit the time you spend watching television and using the computer. Walk the dog, park your car at the end of the lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, join an exercise class, dance to music or take walks, etc. In short, do more than you are doing now.

Meet With Your Health Care Team Regularly

There are many medical tests that your team can run. They can help you get screening that could help you prevent or slow down the development of diabetes-related problems early, when they can be treated. Let your team know that you are interested in learning and working with them to do all you can to stay healthy. Discuss problems that you are having and review your progress.

View Full Issue
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

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