There are a number of factors which may reduce the type 2 diabetes occurrence throughout the world. Diet is the most important factor of whether or not a person gets type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight or obese carry the largest risk factor for developing diabetes. Research has shown that even people that are hereditarily predisposed to developing diabetes can delay the onset or avoid the disease completely if they adhere to a healthy diet and keep a healthy weight.
One continuing question is whether or not vegetarian diets reduce the diabetes occurrence in a population. One study, which can be found on the National Institutes of Health website, NIH.gov, posed this question and found that vegetarians had a substantially lower risk than non-vegetarians of diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death. Also the prevalence of self-reported diabetes was lower in vegetarians than non-vegetarians.
Whether a person lives a sedentary lifestyle is another factor which increases a person’s risk of diabetes. If the people in a particular population were generally physically active, for example, the diabetes occurrence in that population would likely be much lower than those of other populations. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) there is a growing body of evidence which affirms that “regular physical activity leads to multiple physiological and psychological benefits that improve glycemic control, overall health, and quality of life. Furthermore, recent evidence points to the crucial role of physical activity in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.”
Helping to Lower the Diabetes Occurrence
You can help to lower the diabetes occurrence in your area by living a healthy lifestyle and convincing those around you that they should as well. The best way to take care of yourself, your family, and those around you is to learn what it takes to stay healthy. First of all you should avoid restrictive diets which may cause you to lose weight quickly and ‘easily’. A true healthy diet is one which allows you to eat a wide variety of foods in a balanced manner.
One of the biggest factors in unhealthy diets, and one that contributes the most to the diabetes occurrence throughout the world, is that people tend to eat too many simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are broken down easily in the body. They include foods such as white enriched breads and pastas, and sugary desserts and snacks. Simply switching to whole grain breads, cereals, and snacks and lowering your sugar intake will contribute to your overall health immensely.
Berkeley University of California’s Wellness Letter States “fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes – foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol – should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. The rest should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish.”
The article also recommends maintaining a balance between your caloric intake and your caloric expenditure, in other words, don’t eat more than your body can utilize. This also means the more active you are, the more you can eat. On the other hand, it also means that if you are not physically active you should limit your caloric intake, yet still eat enough to ensure that you are receiving the right nutrients. According to the ADA, everyone should exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
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