One in ten Americans has diabetes. The most common type of diabetes is Type 2, and it’s a disease that often strikes adults after they’ve put on weight or have been inactive for too long. Type I diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because it was diagnosed more often in children than adults. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. There is no known cause for this form of diabetes.
Diabetes Type 2 can be managed through diet and exercise, but the cost of this chronic condition is staggering. “The Cost of Diabetes in the U.S.: $1 Billion a Day” discusses how much it costs to live with diabetes every day, as well as what impact it has on our economy and society at large.
Diabetes Type 2 is not only a costly disease for the individual, but also for our economy as a whole. In 2019, according to the American Diabetes Association, the economic costs of cost of diabetes in the U.S. was $356 billion. This number includes direct costs such as medical expenses and indirect costs such as lost productivity and tax losses.
Diabetes accounted for more than one-fifth of all spending on adult health care in the U.S., and it’s estimated that by 2030, this figure will rise to $536 billion annually.
According to the American Diabetes Association, here is the breakdown. The most significant components of medical expenditures are:
· Hospital inpatient care (30% of the total medical cost)
· Prescription medications to treat complications of diabetes (30%)
· Anti-diabetic agents and diabetes supplies (15%)
· Physician office visits (13%)
Not only does diabetes have a significant financial impact, but it also has a major social impact. In 2013, there were almost 29 million people in the U.S. with diabetes, and this number is expected to continue to rise.
By 2050 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes. It is ridiculous to blame the people. How about blaming BigFood who making unhealthy food available everywhere, and thanks to food subsidies from the government make it cheap. Add to that all the advertising by BigFood it is no wonder diabetes grew to be such a problem.
Diabetes Type 2 is a complex disease that has many causes. While diet and exercise are important factors in managing diabetes, there are many other contributing factors as well. If we want to make progress in combating diabetes, we need to look at the issue from all angles. We need to investigate the cause of this epidemic and work together to find solutions.
Diabetes accounted for more than one-fifth of all spending on adult health care in the U.S., and it’s estimated that by 2030, this figure will rise to $536 billion annually.
According to the American Diabetes Association, here is the breakdown of the most significant components of medical expenditures:
Diabetes Type 2 is more prevalent in older adults over the age of 65 years old, but it’s also becoming increasingly common among young people as well—in fact, an estimated 300 thousand adolescents currently have diabetes. This number has tripled since 2000 and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Decreased physical activity levels and poor diets are believed to be part of the cause for this increase in Type II Diabetes cases amongst teenagers.
This disease can cost a family thousands each year with medical expenses running into the tens or even hundreds of thousands if complications such as amputation occur due to nerve damage from untreated high blood sugar over time which could result in limbs having to be amputated.
Type II diabetes can lead to a number of health complications such as blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and more. With numbers like these, it’s clear that diabetes is not only a costly disease for the individual but for our society as well. In order to better manage this chronic condition and reduce its impact on both the individual and our economy, we need to focus on prevention and early detection.
Steps we can take include increasing physical activity levels, eating healthier foods, and getting screened for diabetes if we are at risk. Diabetes doesn’t have to control us—we can take charge of our health and fight back! The diet that is studied the most for help in controlling diabetes is the Mediterranean diet. It is an ancient diet. The Mediterranean diet is primarily plant-based, nutrient-dense foods, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. These are the foods consumed and the eating habits of people living along the Mediterranean region.
There is strong evidence that the Mediterranean diet can help prevent heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Mediterranean Diet Your Journey Begins Here
The diet uses olive oil as a primary fat source and eating foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (usually eaten as fatty fish or walnuts).inhabitants to stay healthy. Researchers have cited these types of diets to be effective for lowering cholesterol and reducing cases of heart disease.
The plant-based foods in this diet are high in fiber which helps with weight loss, blood sugar control and preventing type II diabetes. The antioxidants in these foods also protect cells from damage and may reduce the risk of developing some chronic diseases such as cancer. A study published in Diabetes Care showed that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts reduced the risk of developing type II diabetes by 58%.
Wine, olive oil, and fish and think Mediterranean diet, but the increase in fruit and vegetables makes it healthy. So the diet is good because it eliminates caloric excess, increases whole plant foods. It also eliminates salt, processed foods, ultra-processed or Hyperpalatable energy-dense foods.
There was a time when this made sense for our hunter-gatherer ancestors foraging for food. They lived in times of scarcity. But today, the global obesity crisis has reached staggering heights. Many scientists believe our genes are no longer compatible with such an unhealthy diet. The rise in diabetes rates is attributed to fast food habits that are cheap, quickly found, and accessible but not always healthy.
So try to reduce processed foods, starches, sugar, salt, and soft drinks in your diet. Also cut down on processed baked goods, alcoholic drinks (except for that red wine), too much meat, milk, fast food, and ultra-processed food products. Ultra-processed foods are
All that is left is the Mediterranean food items anyhow!
Your immune system is informed by your food sensors and the immune system is a response to a trigger. Those triggers can be poor quality food or BigFood. So now we have a chronic energy surplus. We have, around the world, both undernutrition and overnutrition. Both are related to poor quality diet and unbalanced energy intake.
The absence of plant food is the most significant factor in our bad diets here in the United States.
Vegetables are the richest sources of minerals. Your everyday daily diet should aim to eat 2-3 servings of whole grains, 3-5 servings of vegetables, and 4-5 servings of fruits.
The takeaway? We need more vegetables! In the U.S., we don’t eat enough fruits or veggies—only about 12% of adults meet their daily intake recommendations for fruit intake and only 16% do so with vegetables
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