Please, please, please, New York Times, please differentiate between Type One and Type Two Diabetes in articles like this. Type One has nothing to do with soda, eating habits, obesity, calories consumed or exercise. It is an autoimmune disorder that is increasingly misunderstood when reputable news outlets fail to differentiate it from it's more well-known neighbor.
9
Interesting news about Adult onset Diabetes....as usual, it is about poor eating habits and being overweight.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151201141231.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151201141231.htm
1
I am disturbed that the New York Times failed to make clear the distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. My daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 when she was nine months old. No amount of exercise or change of diet could have prevented the onset at nine months. Rather, as far as we know, a combination of a genetic predisposition coupled with a virus probably set off an autoimmune responses that resulted in the failure of her pancreas to produce the life-saving enzyme insulin. Sadly, the article, while drawing attention to a devastating disease, perpetuates the "blame the victim" mentality that so often is associated with diabetes. It would be far better if the New York Times helped to educate the public about the different types of diabetes, and the enormous challenges faced by people with Type 1 - none of which are of their own making.
12
Dear NY Times,
The next time you write about "diabetes" please make the very important distinction between Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition with no known cause and no cure. There is nothing that anyone can do to prevent it. It is not caused by drinking soda, eating sugar or lack of exercise. For whatever reason, the body mistakenly attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. People with Type 1 diabetes do not make their own insulin which is needed to convert food into fuel for the body. They must get insulin via injections or an insulin pump. Rates of type 1 diabetes are actually on the rise not declining. So please get your facts straight and report with clarity rather than consistently giving misinformation and perpetuating stereotypes.
Thank you
The next time you write about "diabetes" please make the very important distinction between Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition with no known cause and no cure. There is nothing that anyone can do to prevent it. It is not caused by drinking soda, eating sugar or lack of exercise. For whatever reason, the body mistakenly attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas. People with Type 1 diabetes do not make their own insulin which is needed to convert food into fuel for the body. They must get insulin via injections or an insulin pump. Rates of type 1 diabetes are actually on the rise not declining. So please get your facts straight and report with clarity rather than consistently giving misinformation and perpetuating stereotypes.
Thank you
17
Every commercial that shows thin, healthy looking models "eating" a fast food product should carry a warning: "People who look like this do not consume fast food." It should be obvious, but I think many of us with weight problems fool ourselves into believing that there are people who can eat large quantities of junk food and remain thin.
9
How about the commercials that show a 14 year old girl and say that some cream will keep you looking young. Hello, she is already young!
2
May be due to increase in consumption of coffee and aspirin or may be due to new immigrants and refugees who have no diabetics. May be a statistical error in the genetics due to natural selection. What ever be the reason, it is a good news and I take it. No complaints.
1
This is some information about how diet soda can contribute to type 2 diabetes.
From The American Diabetes Association website:
"At least daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36% greater relative risk of incident metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater relative risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with nonconsumption..........Associations between diet soda consumption and type 2 diabetes were independent of baseline measures of adiposity or changes in these measures,..."
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688.full
"10 Reasons to Give Up Diet Soda" -- some excerpts:
".....artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. But there's more to this chemical cocktail than meets the eye......Even more troubling, these sugar stand-ins have been shown to have the same effect on your body as sugar. "Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain," Alpert says......over the course of about a decade, diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers.......Drinking one diet soda a day was associated with a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes in a University of Minnesota study." Read more:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20739512,00.html
From The American Diabetes Association website:
"At least daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36% greater relative risk of incident metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater relative risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with nonconsumption..........Associations between diet soda consumption and type 2 diabetes were independent of baseline measures of adiposity or changes in these measures,..."
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688.full
"10 Reasons to Give Up Diet Soda" -- some excerpts:
".....artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. But there's more to this chemical cocktail than meets the eye......Even more troubling, these sugar stand-ins have been shown to have the same effect on your body as sugar. "Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain," Alpert says......over the course of about a decade, diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers.......Drinking one diet soda a day was associated with a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes in a University of Minnesota study." Read more:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20739512,00.html
2
When I turned 19, in 1979, I noticed one day, while driving, a discomfort. I reached down, and touched something around my waist that alarmed me. Fat. The only cause I could associate was my love of Coca-Cola. That day, I switched to diet Coke. Thirty seven years later, I weigh in at 164, 5'11" and a half. Maybe diet soda is also dangerous, but at 56, it has worked for me for four decades. I will say this, I miss Coca-Cola.
2
I suspect the numbers are actually NOT falling for new diagnoses of Type 1 diabetes.
14
Right, the numbers are rising year on year for Type 1 diabetes, the autoimmune form of the disease, which is an under-reported epidemic in its own right. The statistics apparently aggregated the numbers for Type 2 with the far less prevalent Type 1. But, really, the NYT could have spared a sentence or two to explain the distinction and the divergent trendlines. Different diseases, different public health problems.
13
Back in the late 50;s when I was in nursing school - you know the Florence Nightengale type. 60 to 120 mg was the normal range for blood sugar. Fast forward to today, it's 60 to 99. If they make it lower the Rates of Hypoglycemia will rise as Diabetes rate continue to fall or is it rise? Now the are recommending lower range for Blood Pressure. My head is swimming. Because when my BP is below 120/80, Syncope is me.
4
When I was diagnosed in 1966 with type 1 diabetes, the normal range for blood sugar was 90-120. I don't think that's changed.
I wonder if you are obese or otherwise under a serious pulmonary load. 120/80 is the top end of normal BP. There are always outliers, but I wonder why you are?
1
Again, a failure in communication- without mentioning whether this article is Type 1, an autoimmune disease, or Type 2, a metabolic disease brought on by lifestyle choices coupled with genetics, a reader may easily conflate the two very different diseases. New York Times health reporters should be doing significantly better than this.
16
Type II Diabetes is typically easy to "cure": Uh, don't eat so much?
Type 1 Diabetes is the real deal. Cure that. It's doable.
I know that, allegedly, once you cure a condition such as Type 1 Diabetes, doctors -- specifically Endocrinologists -- may see their flow of patients interrupted. OK, but the reality is that smart Type 1s are already -- thanks to Pump/CGMs and web databases -- mostly self-contained units and Endocrinologists are just there to write prescriptions and do office visits (in my case) every 6 months.
The "Endo" business in many cases -- at least for smart Type 1s -- is already a thing of the past for the most part. A twice-a-year SuperBowl type of thing at best.
Cure Type 1: Protect the kids with it from the hassle and hardship of living with the condition, protect our nation -- now with ACA -- from the expense of covering lower-income people with the condition, and protect your own health should you ever find yourself diagnosed (it can happen, particularly if you're younger or a pregnant woman. No hereditary history for it? Doesn't matter. Trust me).
Type 1 Diabetes is the real deal. Cure that. It's doable.
I know that, allegedly, once you cure a condition such as Type 1 Diabetes, doctors -- specifically Endocrinologists -- may see their flow of patients interrupted. OK, but the reality is that smart Type 1s are already -- thanks to Pump/CGMs and web databases -- mostly self-contained units and Endocrinologists are just there to write prescriptions and do office visits (in my case) every 6 months.
The "Endo" business in many cases -- at least for smart Type 1s -- is already a thing of the past for the most part. A twice-a-year SuperBowl type of thing at best.
Cure Type 1: Protect the kids with it from the hassle and hardship of living with the condition, protect our nation -- now with ACA -- from the expense of covering lower-income people with the condition, and protect your own health should you ever find yourself diagnosed (it can happen, particularly if you're younger or a pregnant woman. No hereditary history for it? Doesn't matter. Trust me).
4
If you read carefully, this article is mostly a public service effort by the Times to get more black people aware of healthy eating and exercise. The shifts toward fewer cases of type-2 diabetes as talked about in the article are almost entire with groups other than blacks and Hispanics.
Plus, public health officials admit they don't really know how come this is happening now , so they use the data as an opportunity to give their own pet theories about less sugar and more exercise. Obesity in the American population has increased in the past 10 years, so, if obesity is linked to type-2 diabetes, how come we are seeing a decline here and now?
4
Tax poisonous soda big time! "Big Gulps" at 711 are an insult to our intelligence, not to mention our bodies. Almost as important as heavy taxes on cigarettes. Make soda an expensive treat and we'll cut diabetes.
4
PLEASE when discussing diabetes and the origins of the disease, please clearly discern Type 1 (which is an auto-immune disease that is NOT derived from eating too much sugar or anything else) and Type 2, which is the rampant disease caused by obesity and poor diet. You're not educating the public otherwise.
19
This type of article with poor reporting and research is the reason Americans are ignorant about the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
6
In the vast majority of cases, Type 2 diabetes is similar to lung cancer because it is caused by behavior.
Finally, the word is out, and consumption of refined sugar (included unhealthy orange juice), and junk carbohydrates is declining.
Now if the ADA would only get with the program and stop foisting recipes on unsuspecting diabetics that contain tortillas, bagels, rice, and other foods that raise blood sugars.
Finally, the word is out, and consumption of refined sugar (included unhealthy orange juice), and junk carbohydrates is declining.
Now if the ADA would only get with the program and stop foisting recipes on unsuspecting diabetics that contain tortillas, bagels, rice, and other foods that raise blood sugars.
5
From the article: "The number of new cases is dropping for whites, the 2014 data show, but the change has not been statistically significant for blacks or Hispanics...." And yet all four photographs are of African-American women, among whom things are not improving, yet the photos and the headline lie to us. In fact, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the sick are not getting better. With almost 60% of African-American women obese, and over 80% at least overweight or obese, what we have on our hands is a national crisis, in the process of becoming a national tragedy, as women lose limbs and lives to this entirely preventable catastrophe. That this kind of misleading journalism goes on in the face of such a crisis is sad beyond belief. What is happening to us as a nation that we let this happen and do nothing?
3
Thanks to each of you who commented on the need to distinguish between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Having had Type 1 for 41 years, I have had multiple opportunities in the last 15 years to educate well meaning people who comment .... "You have diabetes? But you're not overweight."
17
This article incorrectly implies that eating habits and lifestyle contribute to Type 1 diabetes. This is absolutely wrong! As readers have already said, Type 1 is an unpreventable AUTOIMMUNE condition. Diet and exercise WILL NOT reverse it. There is no known cause and no known cure for Type 1 diabetes. For reasons unknown, the incidence of Type 1 has actually been rising.
NYT, please stop contributing to the misinformation and differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2. This article does a great disservice to the Type 1 diabetes community. I expect more from your reporting!
NYT, please stop contributing to the misinformation and differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2. This article does a great disservice to the Type 1 diabetes community. I expect more from your reporting!
20
Just a suggestion, to those who can:
Reject store-bought bread, which is full of added highly-processed sugar and salt, as well as (in the case of some manufacturers, including Pepperidge Farm) that highly-toxic "dough conditioner" datem, and unsprouted wheat flour (sprouting makes the nutrients available; unsprouted flour has only the plant's natural pesticides available). Buy a bread machine. Once or twice a week, throw natural ingredients, including flour from sprouted wheat, in the pan. It's really mindlessly easy, after you've done it once or twice. You'll have delicious, healthy fresh bread. It's also, in the long run (after you've paid for the bread machine) much cheaper than store-bought bread. And, if we all do this in enough numbers, the big food manufacturers might start to get the message and stop trying to feed us toxic garbage.
Reject store-bought bread, which is full of added highly-processed sugar and salt, as well as (in the case of some manufacturers, including Pepperidge Farm) that highly-toxic "dough conditioner" datem, and unsprouted wheat flour (sprouting makes the nutrients available; unsprouted flour has only the plant's natural pesticides available). Buy a bread machine. Once or twice a week, throw natural ingredients, including flour from sprouted wheat, in the pan. It's really mindlessly easy, after you've done it once or twice. You'll have delicious, healthy fresh bread. It's also, in the long run (after you've paid for the bread machine) much cheaper than store-bought bread. And, if we all do this in enough numbers, the big food manufacturers might start to get the message and stop trying to feed us toxic garbage.
4
Could the NYT please fund a study that will see if there is any correlation between the decrease in type 2 diabetes and decreased consumption of soda or pop?
1
It must be the result of Obamacare! All of these people who had no insurance before are now getting it for free, while those of us who used to have insurance now have jack. Just wait and watch the numbers climb again as the gainfully employed who can no longer afford the gym start hitting type 2 levels.
1
That's quite a claim, if true. ASo I'll bite: Exactly how did you lose your insurance? Be specific, jack.
3
you don't need a gym to be active.
1
There is much discussion here about several types of diabetes. I am now borderline diabetic. I am 5"6 and 128 lbs or sometimes less. I eat well and exercise regularly. Having a dog helps because she will annoy me to walk her at least 30 minutes a day. But I am still borderline as was my mother who, at her death at 93, weighed about 100 lbs and was about 5' tall. My doctor told me that this type of diabetes is probably inherited. I am including more meat in my diet ( I have been a vegetarian ) and reducing carbs in hopes of not becoming diabetic. That's what my mother did. But by the time she was 89 she needed medication even though she ate well and exercised, using her walker to take 30 minute walks frequently.
4
Dear NYT -
I have explained the differences between T1D and T2D in layman's terms below. Feel free to copy and paste -
Type 2 Diabetes, the type often associated with diet and lifestyle, is an insensitivity to insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that enables glucose to enter the cells for energy. A change in diet, increasing exercise, and oral medications can help people with Type 2 Diabetes better utilize the insulin their bodies produce.
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own islet beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, resulting in an insulin deficiency. People with Type 1 Diabetes require life-long insulin treatments, usually delivered subcutaneously. Because the amount of insulin needed to maintain stable blood sugar varies person-to-person, day-to-day, meal-to-meal, people with Type 1 Diabetes must monitor their glucose levels carefully and closely, as too much insulin will cause severe hypoglycemia which may result in unconsciousness or death.
I have explained the differences between T1D and T2D in layman's terms below. Feel free to copy and paste -
Type 2 Diabetes, the type often associated with diet and lifestyle, is an insensitivity to insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas that enables glucose to enter the cells for energy. A change in diet, increasing exercise, and oral medications can help people with Type 2 Diabetes better utilize the insulin their bodies produce.
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own islet beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, resulting in an insulin deficiency. People with Type 1 Diabetes require life-long insulin treatments, usually delivered subcutaneously. Because the amount of insulin needed to maintain stable blood sugar varies person-to-person, day-to-day, meal-to-meal, people with Type 1 Diabetes must monitor their glucose levels carefully and closely, as too much insulin will cause severe hypoglycemia which may result in unconsciousness or death.
18
Pre diabetes is an epidemic and just as devastating to the nervous system and the cardiovascular system as diabetes. Exercise alone will not stave off diabetes. It is a genetic disease and a progressive one. There are various types of diabetes and Asians get diabetes at a normal weight because they have visceral invisible fat and insulin resistance. Metabolic syndrome, with high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol and belly fat is also widespread in the Hispanic, Black and Caucasian communities and this report may be premature optimism. Diabetes is also a polygenic disease--there is MODY--maturity onset diabetes of the young and LADA--latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, where islet cell antibodies can destroy the beta cells and lead to insulin dependence--it is sometimes called Type 1.5 diabetes. Many young Hispanics are developing Type 2 diabetes and require life long treatment and some even need gastric by pass done at a young age to control the diabetes. South Asians are literally born with insulin resistance, possess a thrifty gene and store fat in the liver leading to high fasting insulin levels and insulin ineffectiveness. Diabetes runs the gamut and while it is common in folks who lead a sedentary lifestyle, it can creep up even on relatively active folks due to heritable factors and complacency, due to this report, is not warranted. It is also a disease of aging with progressive beta cell atrophy occurring as people get older.
8
The Times should make clear in its headlines that this article is about Type 2 Diabetes. The pubic should be educated that there are two Diabetes afflictions with completely different causes: Type 2, which can be made worse or better with a person's food and exercise choices, and the less prevalent Type 1, which cannot because it is an autoimmune disease. Those persons suffering from Type 1 are doomed to a life of insulin injections. Type 1 cases are increasing, not falling, for reasons unknown. The headline should read "New Type 2 Diabetes Cases, at Long Last..." Those persons suffering from Type 1 wish fervently that they could reverse the progress of their disease with more healthy lifestyle choices but they cannot, and they would appreciate a more general understanding of their disease. The Times could help.
21
Type 1 cases are indeed rising; it is an auto-immune disease.
But there are no "saintly illness vs. bad, immoral illnesses". Illness is illness.
Type 1 diabetics ABSOLUTELY can make their illness better or worse by behavior modifications, eating regimes, diet, exercise.
Type 2 diabetics are not "at fault" for getting diabetes, and it is not caused by any food, nor by lifestyle (though strict diet and exercise can improve symptoms SOMETIMES in SOME patients).
Some Type 2 diabetics need insulin also, though virtually all Type 1 diabetics do.
Both types of diabetics could gain strength and increase public awareness -- if they join hands, work together and have compassion and sympathy for one another -- instead of trying to blame the other person ("HE is at fault, but I am blameless!").
But there are no "saintly illness vs. bad, immoral illnesses". Illness is illness.
Type 1 diabetics ABSOLUTELY can make their illness better or worse by behavior modifications, eating regimes, diet, exercise.
Type 2 diabetics are not "at fault" for getting diabetes, and it is not caused by any food, nor by lifestyle (though strict diet and exercise can improve symptoms SOMETIMES in SOME patients).
Some Type 2 diabetics need insulin also, though virtually all Type 1 diabetics do.
Both types of diabetics could gain strength and increase public awareness -- if they join hands, work together and have compassion and sympathy for one another -- instead of trying to blame the other person ("HE is at fault, but I am blameless!").
4
Let's be clear here, absent insulin injections Type 1s will die. Not "virtually all" but ALL. Your comment that "behavior modification" can make a Type 1's "Illness better or worse" suggests that you should probably refrain from commenting on the topic of how people with Type 1 manage their disease.
7
I agree that the article should do a better job making a distinction, however based on this article and following the links to the CDC page, it appears that the data in this article actually IS referring simply to "diabetes" and hasn't broken it down into the number of new cases by type. So while the majority of the article, about prevention, diet, exercise, etc. is specific to preventing Type 2, the statistics technically include both Type 1 and Type 2. This is definitely frustrating, but the numbers are coming from the CDC, not the NYT.
2
If the ADA recomendations for blood sugar levels were not ridiculously high, the cases of type 2 diabetes would quadruple overnight.
6
Agree. In raising a T1 daughter from 5 years old on, I was continually appalled at the low level of expectations in the area of diet, exercise and blood sugar control. In the area of diet, in particular, there is an insane assumption that a human being (or their parent) is not able to choose an optimally healthy diet. So it's not even recommended.
2
I'm sorry, you are....a diabetic endocrinologist? a physician of any kind? what gives YOU the authority or knowledge to determine what is or is not the proper level of blood glucose?
They are not "ridiculously high", but have been about the same for many years, and are accepted by nearly all medical authorities.
They are not "ridiculously high", but have been about the same for many years, and are accepted by nearly all medical authorities.
Here's a diabetes-related topic I haven't seen covered, and that's the provision of high sugar, tube-fed nutrients to people in nursing homes. My husband, a generation younger than most nursing home patients, has since been able to return home and has reclaimed much of his health. But under rehab treatment he developed a diabetic condition while the gastric tube was in. Once it was removed and he became able to eat regular food, the need for diabetic drug treatment disappeared. I suspect the need for diabetic drug treatment was due to the high-sugar content of the nutrients delivered through the gastric peg tube.
11
That's interesting, but this is about NEW cases of diabetes in presumably younger people (35-60), not the very elderly. Your husband's situation is unusual, because he was so young. Most people on tube feeding in nursing homes are well over 85; if they develop Type II diabetes, they will not likely live long enough to develop the serious side effects of the disease (which come on, about 20 years after diagnosis).
1
Concerned Citizen, you're right. My husband is in his early 60s and was physically fit before his stroke, which was brought on by predisposition to extremely high blood pressure. His stroke four years ago almost killed him. Anyone out there with similar history, please seek early attention for blood pressure treatment. It will be well worth it. Once someone has a stroke, tube feeding in extreme situations may seem like a good intervention unless and until you know the quality of the stuff that the patient is receiving.
Another missed opportunity to educate the public on the crucial difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. This reporter should've clearly stated the difference. NO, the rates of "diabetes" aren't falling. Perhaps the rates of Type 2 diabetes are falling, but the rates of Type 1 diabetes are rising rapidly. And no amount of diet or exercise helps because IT IS AN AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE. One that has no cure. Come on, NYTimes - you can do better than this.
32
emklin - I agree with you on the distinction and i might add the term "sugar" is too general and please use the specific name, glucose, fructose, etc. These "sugars' are metabolized quite differently.
Well, diet may play a part in the prevention of Type 1. There is a great deal of information unfolding on how the microbiome/microbiota effects the immune system. It appears there is a constant communication between some of the 100 trillion bacteria in your gut (tagging along with you on your journey through life) and your immune system. It has been shown that your diet has marked effects on the mix of those organisms. It's a relatively new, difficult and complex field of study but stay tuned. If you want a primer read "The Good Gut" by two Stanford microbiologists.
Well, diet may play a part in the prevention of Type 1. There is a great deal of information unfolding on how the microbiome/microbiota effects the immune system. It appears there is a constant communication between some of the 100 trillion bacteria in your gut (tagging along with you on your journey through life) and your immune system. It has been shown that your diet has marked effects on the mix of those organisms. It's a relatively new, difficult and complex field of study but stay tuned. If you want a primer read "The Good Gut" by two Stanford microbiologists.
3
Maybe, just maybe they've learned the dangers of Fructose Corn Syrup products and are staying away from them!!
5
NO FOOD CAUSES TYPE 2 DIABETES.
Not sugar. Not HFCS. Not candy. Not soda pop.
It is a disease of the endocrine system. It is highly heritable. It affects families. It is also to some degree, a disease of old age. Most Type 2 diabetics are over 65.
A healthy diet is good for ALL PEOPLE, no matter what. A diabetic diet is simply one that manages carbs; it does not forbid any food, not even sugar (in moderation).
Not sugar. Not HFCS. Not candy. Not soda pop.
It is a disease of the endocrine system. It is highly heritable. It affects families. It is also to some degree, a disease of old age. Most Type 2 diabetics are over 65.
A healthy diet is good for ALL PEOPLE, no matter what. A diabetic diet is simply one that manages carbs; it does not forbid any food, not even sugar (in moderation).
3
@Concerned Citizen:
Excess refined carbohydrates likely cause type 2 diabetes, although we don't know for sure. _Susceptibility_ to diabetes is inherited, but rates of type 2 diabetes have increased much faster than can be explained by genetics alone. Rates of type 2 diabetes amongst the middle-aged and the young have also increased, so it is no longer just a disease of old age. Dietary changes over the past 30 years are a likely suspect.
Excess refined carbohydrates likely cause type 2 diabetes, although we don't know for sure. _Susceptibility_ to diabetes is inherited, but rates of type 2 diabetes have increased much faster than can be explained by genetics alone. Rates of type 2 diabetes amongst the middle-aged and the young have also increased, so it is no longer just a disease of old age. Dietary changes over the past 30 years are a likely suspect.
3
@The Pooch Yes you did catch a contextual error I made in not designating "carbohydrate"calories. It is carbo calories. Yes there is a correlation between diet and exercise with Type 2 diabetes but correlation is not causation, and as I did say symptoms can be put in remission with diet and exercise, but they are not the cause. Remission is not a cure. There is likely a genetic factor involved that may also account for gestational diabetes. My ultimate point was do not maje diabetes a question of judging rather than a health issue which it is.
2
Could the drop reflect the change to the A1c test, which has reduced sensitivity and may be missing cases?
7
Always interesting to hear back and forth. Some responses to my initial comments imply I was denying the correlation between obesity and exercise and Type 2 diabetes. Of course there is a correlation and that is contained in my statement. What is not true is cause and effect. Correlation is not causation. That is the essence of the point I was making.
2
I think some of the back and forth is caused by the misuse of your argument by obesity rationalizers. For example, there's no "cause and effect" to smioking and cancer. We know it because the correlatino is so strong.
Likewise, many complain that, in their efforts to lose weight, they "yo yo diet", which they say causees health problems. However, this yo yo dieting doesn't cause health problems, ther's just a corrrelation
You can accept the equality of obesity and higher risk of diabetes, like you can accept the equality of smoking and a higher risk of lung cancer
Or you can make statements like "correlatino isn't causation"
I know which I'd do
I really think that this is their point
Likewise, many complain that, in their efforts to lose weight, they "yo yo diet", which they say causees health problems. However, this yo yo dieting doesn't cause health problems, ther's just a corrrelation
You can accept the equality of obesity and higher risk of diabetes, like you can accept the equality of smoking and a higher risk of lung cancer
Or you can make statements like "correlatino isn't causation"
I know which I'd do
I really think that this is their point
1
@TJPeterson: for a lot of people, blaming and shaming Type 2 diabetics is all wrapped up in their bigotry and hatred of all fat people. The narrative fits very nearly (though NOT scientifically) -- a person is fat and lazy, and stuffs themselves with sugary treats. Then they get Type 2 diabetes AS PUNISHMENT FOR THEIR GLUTTONY. The punishment is deserved, in this scenario, as we all know how "evil awful and greedy" fat people are, and how they deserve to be punished for this (with bad health, complications from Type 2 diabetes, a strict diet, etc.).
2
@William --
Your premise is incorrect. We know there is a causal relationship between lung cancer and smoking because that relationship has been proved, not because of "high correlation." See the third paragraph under the heading "CANCER" here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44701/
Causation is causation.
Does having a higher weight predispose one to developing type 2 diabetes or does having a predisposition to developing type 2 diabetes make it more likely that you will have a higher weight? How are the two connected? Why do some people who are not overweight develop type 2 diabetes, while the majority of overweight people do NOT develop the condition?
All of these are important questions to understand, rather than simply waving one's hand and ignoring the simple truth that we do not understand the causes of the condition. Because if we don't understand it, we certainly won't be able to come up with the right "solution" to the problem.
Using "sciency" reasons to justify prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination is wrong.
Your premise is incorrect. We know there is a causal relationship between lung cancer and smoking because that relationship has been proved, not because of "high correlation." See the third paragraph under the heading "CANCER" here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44701/
Causation is causation.
Does having a higher weight predispose one to developing type 2 diabetes or does having a predisposition to developing type 2 diabetes make it more likely that you will have a higher weight? How are the two connected? Why do some people who are not overweight develop type 2 diabetes, while the majority of overweight people do NOT develop the condition?
All of these are important questions to understand, rather than simply waving one's hand and ignoring the simple truth that we do not understand the causes of the condition. Because if we don't understand it, we certainly won't be able to come up with the right "solution" to the problem.
Using "sciency" reasons to justify prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination is wrong.
1
Well, someone has to say it. The rise in Type 1 diabetes is another medical riddle, wrapped in mystery, inside an enigma. The CDC and other health authorities are just utterly confounded by what could possibly be the cause.
The Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism is an international journal dedicated exclusively to endocrinology in the neonatal, pediatric and adolescent age groups. It has a current impact factor of 1.00.
In 2003, JEPM published: "The identification of clusters of cases of T1DM occurring in consistent temporal time periods allowed a link between the hemophilus vaccine and T1DM to be established. The current findings indicate the there are also clusters of cases of T1DM occurring 2-4 years post-immunization with the pertussis, MMR, and BCG vaccine. The data are consistent with the occurrence of clusters following mumps infection and the progression to T1DM in patients with antipancreatic autoantibodies." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12793601
The author, of course, has been branded a lunatic and a heretic, as well as a traitor to his profession. He has been smeared with the dreaded "anti "V" word.
The Journal Pediatrics, impact factor 3.79, published data contradicting JPEM. Of course, the American Academy of Pediatrics avoided saying Coke is unhealthy for a paltry $3mm paid over ten years, so who you gonna believe?
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/coke-spends-lavishly-on-pediatr...
The Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism is an international journal dedicated exclusively to endocrinology in the neonatal, pediatric and adolescent age groups. It has a current impact factor of 1.00.
In 2003, JEPM published: "The identification of clusters of cases of T1DM occurring in consistent temporal time periods allowed a link between the hemophilus vaccine and T1DM to be established. The current findings indicate the there are also clusters of cases of T1DM occurring 2-4 years post-immunization with the pertussis, MMR, and BCG vaccine. The data are consistent with the occurrence of clusters following mumps infection and the progression to T1DM in patients with antipancreatic autoantibodies." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12793601
The author, of course, has been branded a lunatic and a heretic, as well as a traitor to his profession. He has been smeared with the dreaded "anti "V" word.
The Journal Pediatrics, impact factor 3.79, published data contradicting JPEM. Of course, the American Academy of Pediatrics avoided saying Coke is unhealthy for a paltry $3mm paid over ten years, so who you gonna believe?
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/coke-spends-lavishly-on-pediatr...
For all of those who insist that two thirds of Americans are overweight to obese and that it must be some sort of sudden mutation that caused this, there is this:
'...She weaned herself off Coca-Cola, going from about 50 cans a week to fewer than seven...'
People used to see soda or candy or any other sweet as an occasional treat or even a once a day treat.
Nowadays, every American drinks 1000 calories or more in soda and coffee or tea drinks, as if liquid calories somehow do not count.
Good for those who have changed their diets, but let's not kid ourselves why most people are fat in the first place.
'...She weaned herself off Coca-Cola, going from about 50 cans a week to fewer than seven...'
People used to see soda or candy or any other sweet as an occasional treat or even a once a day treat.
Nowadays, every American drinks 1000 calories or more in soda and coffee or tea drinks, as if liquid calories somehow do not count.
Good for those who have changed their diets, but let's not kid ourselves why most people are fat in the first place.
11
I know lots of skinny people that have horrible diets - lots of fast food and full sugar sodas and drink alchohol. You have to have the wrong genetics to not be able to tolerate high glycemic carbs (ie sugar and fructose).
Don't kid yourself - you aren't skinnier because you think you eat more morally.
Don't kid yourself - you aren't skinnier because you think you eat more morally.
2
when the Times fails to clearly state the difference between Type 1 and Type 1 diabetes in articles like these, it does a disservice to the Type 1 community. Type 1 children are constantly questioned about their eating habits. as if their diet has caused or exacerbated their illness. This is not the case in 99.9999% of T1D cases.
I have read articles in the Times year after year that have failed to make this distinction. I expect more from your reporters!
I have read articles in the Times year after year that have failed to make this distinction. I expect more from your reporters!
22
It is true that children with Type 1 (or Juvenile) diabetes are currently being shamed and ridiculed for "eating too many sweets" or even "being fat" (even if they are slim!) -- but WHY IS THIS?
It's because we have given license to hateful trolls online, and countless articles blaming people for getting diabetes. The blame is intended for Type 2 diabetics, but of course, it lands on Type 1 victims as well!
There are no "good diseases" and "bad diseases". Both types of diabetes are bad, they are illnesses and nobody "did anything" to make themselves sick. They deserve compassion and respect.
You can't get compassion and respect for Type 1 diabetics, by declaring a field day on Type 2 diabetics -- and saying "you can make fun of the 2nd group, but not the first".
It's because we have given license to hateful trolls online, and countless articles blaming people for getting diabetes. The blame is intended for Type 2 diabetics, but of course, it lands on Type 1 victims as well!
There are no "good diseases" and "bad diseases". Both types of diabetes are bad, they are illnesses and nobody "did anything" to make themselves sick. They deserve compassion and respect.
You can't get compassion and respect for Type 1 diabetics, by declaring a field day on Type 2 diabetics -- and saying "you can make fun of the 2nd group, but not the first".
6
So, you think it is OK for those with Type 2 diabetes to be "constantly questioned about their eating habits?"
The Type 1 "community" does a disservice to itself by continuing to "other" Type 2 diabetics. With the exception of their physicians and (if they are kids) their parents/guardians, the eating habits any ANY diabetic -- Type 1 or Type 2 -- should be considered "off limits" by everyone.
The Type 1 "community" does a disservice to itself by continuing to "other" Type 2 diabetics. With the exception of their physicians and (if they are kids) their parents/guardians, the eating habits any ANY diabetic -- Type 1 or Type 2 -- should be considered "off limits" by everyone.
2
It's a shame that the author waits until the 6th paragraph to distinguish between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes - especially because the text is so packed with references to diet, obesity and sedentary lifestyle. It's a great disservice to children and adults living with Type 1 who are so often unfairly stigmatized due to the shared name of their very different (autoimmune) disease. I do so with journalists would take greater care.
20
So you're saying it's "fair" to stigmatize those with Type 2 diabetes?
1
This is a victory for Public Health. Information sharing, creating awareness and clear plans for prevention are what is behind this change in trend re the diabetes epidemic. It used to be that only after you were diagnosed with the disease you started to worry, now people know what it is and what you need to do to prevent it. Kudos to Public Health efforts.
4
Incredible story. I think it´d be interesting seeing an article focus on how a diabetic feels on a daily basis, and how easy it is to become depressive because of diabetes. It´s not that they do not want to improve their health, but certainly the mind plays a huge role. And I´d say ot´s like that for all chronic diseases. Also how easy it is to psychosomatize many diseases just because of the mind.
3
The photos in this article are misleading by showing people exercising. 'Lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym.' It's sad to see the New York Times being no better than the 'The Biggest Loser' in misguiding people on losing weight and controlling diabetes.
Actually, while exercising may not produce weight loss, it DOES produce measurable improvement in various other health markers, such as blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and blood sugar.
There is value to movement even in the absence of weight loss.
There is value to movement even in the absence of weight loss.
7
Being more active is an essential part of preventing diabetes; one reason is because it increases sensitivity to insulin. Lifestyle management programs are most successful when they help people at risk for diabetes both eat a healthier diet and be more physically active.
10
A nice counterpoint to the true believers of the dysfunctional wing of the Republican party who deny the very concept of public health.
2
SARCASM ALERT!
Thanks to our wonderful government, we are being forced to eat healthier, avoid bad habits and exercise whether we want to or not. Obamacare, Michelle, and the Feds are taking away our freedom of choice to choose what and how much we can eat, drink, consume, smoke and otherwise put into our bodies. We do not have a choice; either we put down the bacon double cheeseburger and walk away, get our fat, lazy carcasses on a treadmill for three hours daily, or suffer the consequences.
And we will still die when we reach the end of our life.
Thanks to our wonderful government, we are being forced to eat healthier, avoid bad habits and exercise whether we want to or not. Obamacare, Michelle, and the Feds are taking away our freedom of choice to choose what and how much we can eat, drink, consume, smoke and otherwise put into our bodies. We do not have a choice; either we put down the bacon double cheeseburger and walk away, get our fat, lazy carcasses on a treadmill for three hours daily, or suffer the consequences.
And we will still die when we reach the end of our life.
2
Diabetes 2 is a scam. Food portion control, eat fresh and not processed foods, healthy meats, fruits, and vegetables. Get down to your normal body weight. Take key supplements such as CO-Q10 and others. Drink lots of water, walk for 30 straight minutes per day without stopping. Do other floor exercises and weights. No booze or drugs. The key is to not take any statins such as Lipitor, they damage your liver, pancreas other organs and rob your memory.
Statins inhibits CoQ10 synthesis making mitochondrial damage and mutation; weakness, unsteadiness, muscle aches, pains, memory loss, and depression.
Why lower cholesterol levels in our bodies? The vital role of cholesterol is the production of our most important hormones the synthesis of Vitamin D, known also as calcitrol. Cholesterol is perhaps the most important biochemical in our bodies.
The benefits from statins are derived from their anti-inflammatory effects, not from reduction in cholesterol. Why put your body at risk with the high risk of debilitating side effects by taking statins when there are other natural supplements which can reduce arterial walls inflammation without side effects?
Statins inhibits CoQ10 synthesis making mitochondrial damage and mutation; weakness, unsteadiness, muscle aches, pains, memory loss, and depression.
Why lower cholesterol levels in our bodies? The vital role of cholesterol is the production of our most important hormones the synthesis of Vitamin D, known also as calcitrol. Cholesterol is perhaps the most important biochemical in our bodies.
The benefits from statins are derived from their anti-inflammatory effects, not from reduction in cholesterol. Why put your body at risk with the high risk of debilitating side effects by taking statins when there are other natural supplements which can reduce arterial walls inflammation without side effects?
10
Once again, great writing by Sabrina Tavernise. Her vignettes of the people make the statistics live. One of the interesting aspects is the comment by nurse Johnson on the rapid spike of diabetes cases in the 1990's. The results today look like there might be some progress.
I salute those people around Eutaw who are confronting their problems. It's not easy. I have a relative who has severe health problems. *all* due to high weight. My relative is no different from Pamela Moton's relatives. Believe me, it's devastating, and to think that controlling the well known overweight problem early on would have eliminated those problems.
The toughest part for me in this article is imagining consuming fifty cans of Coke a week. To emphasize, that's seven cans per day. I suppose there are about 200 calories per can, so that's 1400 calories per day. That's the caloric limit per day for a normal, inactive person.
The weight problem is not only in Eutaw, but nearly everywhere. I see it here in most venues. Something has happened in this society that fosters weight gain in our population. My overweight relative has an advanced college degree, yet has no concept of diet. We need to educate people about food, as Sabrina's fine article indicates that we are starting to do.
I salute those people around Eutaw who are confronting their problems. It's not easy. I have a relative who has severe health problems. *all* due to high weight. My relative is no different from Pamela Moton's relatives. Believe me, it's devastating, and to think that controlling the well known overweight problem early on would have eliminated those problems.
The toughest part for me in this article is imagining consuming fifty cans of Coke a week. To emphasize, that's seven cans per day. I suppose there are about 200 calories per can, so that's 1400 calories per day. That's the caloric limit per day for a normal, inactive person.
The weight problem is not only in Eutaw, but nearly everywhere. I see it here in most venues. Something has happened in this society that fosters weight gain in our population. My overweight relative has an advanced college degree, yet has no concept of diet. We need to educate people about food, as Sabrina's fine article indicates that we are starting to do.
7
It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration required a cigarette-style health hazard on all products with high-fructose corn syrup to help advertise its deleterious, diabetic and fatal effects on the general population.
Something along the lines of:
"This product contains high-fructose corn syrup, an addictive substance which contains zero nutritional value and is known to be harmful to human health and the healthcare system and contributes to human obesity."
The government has a basic responsibility to heavily regulate food poisons.
Something along the lines of:
"This product contains high-fructose corn syrup, an addictive substance which contains zero nutritional value and is known to be harmful to human health and the healthcare system and contributes to human obesity."
The government has a basic responsibility to heavily regulate food poisons.
37
Or maybe a PBS-style message:
"This product is made unhealthful with the generous support of subsidies, which are paid by Taxpayers Like You. Thank You."
"This product is made unhealthful with the generous support of subsidies, which are paid by Taxpayers Like You. Thank You."
10
All pictures here are of Afro-Americans. Being a "white" guy myself I obviously was very happy to know that I will thus never get diabetes.
2
And they all live in the South. primarily Alabama.
1
Since this piece focused on the Black Belt, it would have been fascinating to see how Ms. Tavernise could have presented the prevalence of diabetes among the minority white male population there.
5
I joke with friends and patients that of everyone I know, myself included, my cocker spaniel has the healthiest diet. Why? Because I control what he eats. The human body, brain, appetite center was not designed to have free access to food, especially to processed, free carbohydrates. We need to tame our inner cocker spaniel.
Perhaps The Times could devote some additional time to relatively inexpensive, healthy alternatives to free carbohydrates.
Perhaps The Times could devote some additional time to relatively inexpensive, healthy alternatives to free carbohydrates.
8
What I don't understand is why the authors of the study included data from Type 1 diabetics in the results. Type 1 diabetes in an UNPREVENTABLE autoimmune disease and any data measuring the increase or decrease in the number of people diagnosed should be discarded. We don't know why people manifest as Type 1 diabetics, nor do we know what the triggers for the autoimmune response are. We can't predict who will get it, though we can keep an eye on first-degree relatives (siblings, children) of those with the condition, as they're at higher risk for Type 1. The medical community has a much better grasp on what kind of risk factors contribute to a Type 2 diagnosis (age, weight, lifestyle, family history, ethnicity, diet, exercise levels), so including Type 1 data makes zero sense. Type 1 and Type 2 are two different diseases, with two different causes and should be treated as such when it comes to data gathering. I'm glad that there seems to be a drop in the number of cases of Type 2 diabetes and that people are taking steps to stave off or delay its development, but there is absolutely nothing that will delay or prevent Type 1 diabetes. We just don't have that good a grasp on how the immune system self-regulates and zero clue as to how to turn of autoimmunity once the process starts, and we don't really have the will to develop one, because of how few Type 1's there are relative to the huge pool of Type 2 diabetics, which is a much higher, more profitable market to tap.
24
@CJ:
If we figure what thing or things cause the autoimmune response, type 1 diabetes might be preventable. It's not preventable with our current state of knowledge.
If we figure what thing or things cause the autoimmune response, type 1 diabetes might be preventable. It's not preventable with our current state of knowledge.
2
Great question, CJ. I wondered the same, myself.
CJ, thanks for clarifying the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. Having a son with Type 1 has made me hyper sensitive to the sometimes shoddy reporting and statistical grouping that goes on regarding these two very distinct diseases together, Type 2 being preventable in the majority of cases.
5
Good article, The food industry needs to dump the silly gluten free hype and focus on "eating this product will not make you obese", and mean it. Agribusiness, particularly corn, needs to reigned in. The stuff is in everything. Corn and HFCS free!
9
Many gluten Free foods are extremely high in both sugar and carbs. This is not good for diabetes. Paleo on the other hand can be okay-- just watch out for saturated animal fats which do clog your arteries and are cancer causing-- red meat, bacon.
@uocenglish:
Saturated fats have never been demonstrated to "clog arteries" -- most people _improve_ their blood lipid profiles when they eat more naturally fatty foods.
Red meat has never been demonstrated to cause cancer. People who report eating more red meat on a survey, along with reporting a bunch of other lifestyle and dietary factors, have a slightly increased risk of cancer.
Saturated fats have never been demonstrated to "clog arteries" -- most people _improve_ their blood lipid profiles when they eat more naturally fatty foods.
Red meat has never been demonstrated to cause cancer. People who report eating more red meat on a survey, along with reporting a bunch of other lifestyle and dietary factors, have a slightly increased risk of cancer.
2
actually, gluten free foods are better for my son, a type 1 diabetic... although higher in carbs, the glycemic index of the foods is lower... thus , the carbs are digested slower, which in turn prevents the "spike" in blood sugars that white foods cause... This spike that occurs when you eat high glycemic foods causes the blood sugar to be higher...
1
1 in 4 people with diabetes do not know they have the disease. Also there is a reluctance to diagnose someone as it impedes their ability to get health and life insurance. The CDC reports states their methodology could easily under report. In addition the margin of error is wide in this study. The article should be "kudos to those at risk for diabetes who exercise, eat less/healthier, and lose weight. If everyone did this the prevalence and incidence of diabetes would be lower. The incidence of diabetes may be lowering but it is too early to tell." As a physician in NE Tennessee/SW Virginia I work in some of the poorest counties in these two states. The rates are not falling. And access to healthcare is declining.
24
"One in four people with diabetes do not know they have the disease." I'm always curious about these types of statistics. If THEY don't know they have it, how do YOU know they have it? Do you, as a physician, report patient's cases to the CDC without telling the patient?
3
Estimates of undiagnosed cases of type II diabetes are made based on the number of people who develop severe complications (requiring medical attention - renal failure, limb amputations, etc.) who were not previously diagnosed with diabetes.
1
I wish the writer/editor would have made the distinction in the title that they were talking about Type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, Type 1, which is an autoimmune disease, is still drastically on the rise.
18
The epidemic of obesity closely mirrors the increased consumption of HFCS.
see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15051594
Indeed there is a very real chance that the government has poisoned the American People with it's introduction of HFCS.
And now what do we do now. We vilify all sugars instead of looking at the real cause and dealing with it. This practice promotes the use of many artificial sweeteners.... in many cases jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The FDA has a lot to answer for.
see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15051594
Indeed there is a very real chance that the government has poisoned the American People with it's introduction of HFCS.
And now what do we do now. We vilify all sugars instead of looking at the real cause and dealing with it. This practice promotes the use of many artificial sweeteners.... in many cases jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The FDA has a lot to answer for.
6
"The government has poisoned the American People"???? I, for one, have not been force-fed anything by anyone. We, the American People, need to accept responsibility for what we eat-drink-smoke.
3
The food corporations have poisoned the american people, not the government.
If not for political corruption by the food industry in buying Congress, then government would regulate to protect the public.
This is another example of where people fail to understand the cause of the problem and blame government - corporate propaganda has been effective.
If not for political corruption by the food industry in buying Congress, then government would regulate to protect the public.
This is another example of where people fail to understand the cause of the problem and blame government - corporate propaganda has been effective.
Sigh
unless you live completely off the grid and grow your own food, of course you have
This is more a time to repari our food supply, than trying to impress Mr. Trump with "free" market rationalizations and euphemisms
unless you live completely off the grid and grow your own food, of course you have
This is more a time to repari our food supply, than trying to impress Mr. Trump with "free" market rationalizations and euphemisms
I can easily see why..., the number of gastric bypass surgeries has skyrocketed. It's not eating healthy, nor exercise. It's these surgical centers who bray about how gastric bypass is a "quick cure" for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Have the CDC check THAT out...Americans are no healthier, they are surgically "healthy"
1
Actually, gastric bypass surgery is PROVABLY AND SCIENTIFICALLY a treatment, and sometimes an outright CURE for Type II diabetes.
Nobody knows why, either. The "cure" occurs even before the patient loses any substantial amount of weight.
It is not "braying" -- it is real science. (Do you deny global warming??? Or do you BELIEVE in science?)
BTW: only a small number of people have gotten gastric bypass for Type II diabetes -- not enough to skew the statistics. That's because it is very costly and many insurers will not cover it for this purpose.
Nobody knows why, either. The "cure" occurs even before the patient loses any substantial amount of weight.
It is not "braying" -- it is real science. (Do you deny global warming??? Or do you BELIEVE in science?)
BTW: only a small number of people have gotten gastric bypass for Type II diabetes -- not enough to skew the statistics. That's because it is very costly and many insurers will not cover it for this purpose.
2
Shawnee --
This is another of the "mysteries" of Type 2 diabetes.
People with the condition who have weight loss surgery see significant declines in their blood sugar levels long before any significant weight loss has taken place. It's not understood WHY this happens, but it has been well documented.
For people with Type 2 diabetes who have been unable to control the condition using other methods, the surgery does seem to offer a "quick cure."
This is another of the "mysteries" of Type 2 diabetes.
People with the condition who have weight loss surgery see significant declines in their blood sugar levels long before any significant weight loss has taken place. It's not understood WHY this happens, but it has been well documented.
For people with Type 2 diabetes who have been unable to control the condition using other methods, the surgery does seem to offer a "quick cure."
2
I think the fact that people are now aware that the illness can be reversed with lifestyle modification as oppose to drugs is why the rates have fallen.
The food having been poisoned by FDA approved High fructose corn syrup, aspartame, GMO and splenda is at the root of diabetes and obesity in the West. The human body does not react very well to ingested chemicals (fake foods), the result is elevated blood sugar and body fat.
A healing diet can produce a normal blood sugar without the use of dangerous high blood sugar medications.
http://type2diabetesdietplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/diabetes-metformin-sid...
The food having been poisoned by FDA approved High fructose corn syrup, aspartame, GMO and splenda is at the root of diabetes and obesity in the West. The human body does not react very well to ingested chemicals (fake foods), the result is elevated blood sugar and body fat.
A healing diet can produce a normal blood sugar without the use of dangerous high blood sugar medications.
http://type2diabetesdietplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/diabetes-metformin-sid...
8
There are a couple of comments that are essentially rants against the drug metformin. It may be worth pointing out that one of the "side effects" of metformin may be cancer prevention.
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/research/metformin
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/research/metformin
2
Steven, high fructose corn syrup is no different metabolically than table sugar, roughly half fructose, half glucose. And GMO's certainly don't contribute to diabetes! Agree that artificial sweeteners appear to be harmful based on studies of animals, but the mere fact that a substance is natural doesn't make it harmless -- witness opium, tobacco, and cyanide!
2
un huh..... and for a few million dollars, the American Academy of Pediatrics will avoid suggesting that Coca Cola is not a good dietary choice. Do you suppose the money they received from Coke influenced the statements by AAP?
" the soda grants appear to have, in some cases, won the company allies in anti-soda initiatives, wielded influence over health recommendations about soft drinks, and shifted scientific focus away from soda as a factor in the causes of obesity." http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/coke-spends-lavishly-on-pediatr...
" the soda grants appear to have, in some cases, won the company allies in anti-soda initiatives, wielded influence over health recommendations about soft drinks, and shifted scientific focus away from soda as a factor in the causes of obesity." http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/28/coke-spends-lavishly-on-pediatr...
My father died from type 2 diabetes complications. My doctor monitors my HbA1c level ( can indicate people with pre-diabetes or diabetes). Three months ago I had my first level in the pre-diabetes range. I've lost 21 pounds through mostly diet (watching carbs) and I'm very happy I'm no longer in the pre-diabetes range. I don't want this horrible disease!
22
Isn't it time we got things in perspective? The people of color living in those counties were never slaves. Their ancestors may have been but the war ended 150 years ago. Why do we continue to make it sound like people of color can't move on?
7
I think you have never been there.
10
Because they are stuck in a vicious cycle. They live in an area of tremendous poverty, i.e. poor schools, more than likely not a lot of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, lack of good jobs. It is very hard to climb out of that.
3
Well, they ry to move on, but then police shoot them in the back, killing them...
I've been recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes, despite the fact that I'm NOT overweight and I exercise regularly. Turns out I was eating vast amounts of carbs and sugar (yes, in healthy foods such as granola bars, yogurt, low fat salad dressings, pasta and way too much fruit). I'm currently enrolled in a pre-diabetes class, tracking my food intake and doing by best to meet caloric, sugar and carb guidelines. I totally disregard fat grams - my focus is carbs and sugar. I scrutinize food labels. I still eat granola bars but I changed to one that has 5 grams of sugar instead of 24. I still eat yogurt, but now it's Greek yogurt. Less fruit, no more salads. The salad dressings cancel any benefit that the greens provide. I still eat the forbidden stuff occasionally (pizza, pasta) but I'll make up for it elsewhere. Results so far? My A1C level has dropped and I'm losing about 1 lb a week (without really intending to lose weight).
32
Eat your salad and your veggies but no commerical dressings! Learn to drizzle EVOO with a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of real lemon. Then a touch of sea or josher salt. You need greens. And raw ones. Kale is delicious and satisfying but an acquired taste.
1
Salads are good, especially if they involve a lot of greens! Make your own healthy dressings and keep eating the salads!
9
Olive oil is very healthy, in reasonable quantities, and may be the secret to the so-called Mediterranean lifestyle. So eat your salads with an easy mixture of (per serving): 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 - 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice; and optionally any of these: sprinkle of sea salt, pepper, 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, dried or fresh herbs such as tarragon or oregano, and minced fresh garlic.
Personally I'd skip the granola bars (which are really nothing but glorified cookies) altogether and would switch to whole milk plain (unsweetened) yogurt eaten with a sprinkling of unsweetened berries and/or nuts. (Sweetened Greek yogurt has a lot of sugar in it).
Congrats on your progress and good luck!
Personally I'd skip the granola bars (which are really nothing but glorified cookies) altogether and would switch to whole milk plain (unsweetened) yogurt eaten with a sprinkling of unsweetened berries and/or nuts. (Sweetened Greek yogurt has a lot of sugar in it).
Congrats on your progress and good luck!
7
The problem with teaching nutrition in school is that the nutrition recommendations are driven by food processing companies. When I was studying Food Science (manufacturing) in college few people in the Food Science ate much processed food and when they did they understood what was in it and if it was wholesome. The people in the nutrition departments would eat anything processed with no fear and sear up and down sugar was harmless.
What we really need is a literate and questioning population who will go out and research for themselves. I believe an icon like Michelle Obama using the bully pulpit is very effective in ways school programs generally are not. If kids saw how celebrities eat it might help as well since most are very careful.
What we really need is a literate and questioning population who will go out and research for themselves. I believe an icon like Michelle Obama using the bully pulpit is very effective in ways school programs generally are not. If kids saw how celebrities eat it might help as well since most are very careful.
33
Exactly so. That Food Pyramid was the beginning of two decades of poor eating foisted upon the general population as if it were the Holy Grail. Anyone looking at it with a critical eye had to know that just the 'breads and grains' i.e. STARCH 'recommendation' of 11 or so servings a day flew in the face of reason. Add to that the Sugar Free and Fat Free movements and poof! We were the guinea pigs that suffered and grew fat so that the corn growers (among others) could create new markets for their crops.
1
This is great. I'm lucky, But i know too many who suffer. Awesome! Keep it up folks!
4
I got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes last year, and was put on Metformin. I followed the ADA diet 100% for a few weeks but it was ineffective at getting my blood sugar below 140. My Doctor was pretty ineffective as far as treatment options went (Metformin until Insulin...). Then I found the Big Diabetes Lie book - http://steamspoils.com/7-Steps-to-Health-and-The-Big-Diabetes-Lie-Review - created by Dr. Sidorov to help you figure out how to beat diabetes naturally, without being dependent on medications. Since following that protocol I've lost over 30 pounds and shaved 7 inches off my waist. I have more energy than ever, and can even work out twice on the same day when I feel like it. I hope that more people begin to open their eyes to the dead-end that is depending only on medications for Diabetes - there is a lot of success to be seen trying natural methods.
22
Sarah: I'm on three (four?) medications for my Type 2: Jardiance, Metformin, and Trulicity. They all have been effective in controlling my high blood sugar, which used to be wildly out of control (3-400 was not uncommon). And I have substituted sucralose in my sweet tea for sugar, and cut way down on soda consumption.
As much as I'd like to credit both for getting me back under control, I do place the blame solely on myself and my habits (despite my rant above) for my predicament. But the new class of diabetes drugs does show promise in the treatment of type 2. But again, we need to take more responsibility for ourselves.
As much as I'd like to credit both for getting me back under control, I do place the blame solely on myself and my habits (despite my rant above) for my predicament. But the new class of diabetes drugs does show promise in the treatment of type 2. But again, we need to take more responsibility for ourselves.
Is it news that being overweight can cause type 2 diabetes?
Hats off and kudos to those making the effort! Keep with it!
38
Republican conservatives are fond of citing the dangers of the deficit while at the same time objecting to basic healthcare initiatives. It seems to me that fewer diabetics and a healthier American population would have a major impact on reducing the deficit in the future. Why would republican conservatives oppose a very "common sense" way to reduce deficits? What am I missing?
32
Conservative elites don't really care about the deficit. They just yap about it as part of the "starve the beast" strategy -- the idea that if they reduce taxes on the rich and then complain about deficits, they will force the Democrats to repeal social programs like Social Security. It's been only partially successful -- we've kept most of the programs and run up ever-bigger deficits -- but at least, from their perspective, it has shifted the tax burden from the rich to the shrinking middle class.
6
Because Republicans don't try to control what you eat, unlike Democrats who want to control every aspect of your life.
1
This is good news, but as the article said, much too soon to celebrate. The association of diabetes, race and poverty is well established and a good example of what structural racism looks like. It's not as if there was some conspiracy to afflict black folks with anew disease, but it is true that poor people are targeted with adds for processed, unhealthy foods and often lack viable alternative choices in their neighborhoods.
Health food stores are not common in poor communities. And even if they were, the costs of so most items is beyond the means of many. So this combination has produced a disproportionately high level of diabetes in the African American community without a similarly proportioned response from our public health services. West Harlem looks like a former war zone when you see the number of amputees, all because of diabetes.
But an addendum to this story is the degree to which the process food industry is pushing back. They know that their products are full of unhealthy ingredients, including substantial amounts of high fructose corn syrup sweeteners. But rather than produce a healthier product, they fight for their profits rather than the health and wellness of their consumers. They are a new version of the tobacco industry and deserve similar moral condemnation and hopefully legal action for the harm they continue to cause.
Health food stores are not common in poor communities. And even if they were, the costs of so most items is beyond the means of many. So this combination has produced a disproportionately high level of diabetes in the African American community without a similarly proportioned response from our public health services. West Harlem looks like a former war zone when you see the number of amputees, all because of diabetes.
But an addendum to this story is the degree to which the process food industry is pushing back. They know that their products are full of unhealthy ingredients, including substantial amounts of high fructose corn syrup sweeteners. But rather than produce a healthier product, they fight for their profits rather than the health and wellness of their consumers. They are a new version of the tobacco industry and deserve similar moral condemnation and hopefully legal action for the harm they continue to cause.
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Point of correction: you don't need access to a health food store to eat healthy. Just shop the outer aisles of regular grocery stories. That's where you find the unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruit, meats, dairy. Stick to the lower glycemic, lower fat options. Cook without a ton of oil or artificial stuff like canned soups. Have fresh or unsweetened frozen or canned fruit for dessert. Only problem with this diet is that it can be tricky at times to find fresh foods at reasonable prices.
2
'... but it is true that poor people are targeted with adds for processed, unhealthy foods and often lack viable alternative choices in their neighborhoods...
What nonsense.
We are all 'targeted with adds for processed, unhealthy foods' and have been for two generations, since televisions existed.
'..often lack viable alternative choices in their neighborhoods. Health food stores are not common in poor communities. And even if they were, the costs of so most items is beyond the means of many...'
More nonsense. In NYC, elderly people cart their groceries on the bus from Trader Joe's, so they can buy healthy food at cheap prices.
No one in NYC is that far from a supermarket and every one of us is free to choose what we put in our carts.
What nonsense.
We are all 'targeted with adds for processed, unhealthy foods' and have been for two generations, since televisions existed.
'..often lack viable alternative choices in their neighborhoods. Health food stores are not common in poor communities. And even if they were, the costs of so most items is beyond the means of many...'
More nonsense. In NYC, elderly people cart their groceries on the bus from Trader Joe's, so they can buy healthy food at cheap prices.
No one in NYC is that far from a supermarket and every one of us is free to choose what we put in our carts.
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drspock:
And yet research indicates that putting full-service grocery stores in "food deserts" has had little or no impact on the type of foods consumed or obesity rates. This suggests that eating habits are deeply ingrained and based on familial, societal, and even biological/genetic factors. Food producers are simply delivering the types of food, albeit less than healthy, that are demanded.
Based on this article, it seems that achieving significant, lasting gains against obesity and related illnesses will require better nutritional education starting at a very early age. As food demands change, producers will adapt to meet consumers' needs.
And yet research indicates that putting full-service grocery stores in "food deserts" has had little or no impact on the type of foods consumed or obesity rates. This suggests that eating habits are deeply ingrained and based on familial, societal, and even biological/genetic factors. Food producers are simply delivering the types of food, albeit less than healthy, that are demanded.
Based on this article, it seems that achieving significant, lasting gains against obesity and related illnesses will require better nutritional education starting at a very early age. As food demands change, producers will adapt to meet consumers' needs.
1
Finally we are starting to heal from the FDA's poisonous dietary recommendations of the '80s and '90s that for so long focused on reducing fat rather than reducing sugar.
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It was a pleasure to read some "good news" in the paper today even with the details that somewhat tempered the positive direction in the health of the US population. As a health outcomes researcher (now retired), my knowledge of behavioral health has helped my new husband shed pounds, cut down on his type 2 diabetes medications, and lower his A1c by 1+ points. He came from a background with bad eating habits and little health education. Education and positive reinforcement are the keys. Eating healthy foods and physical activity should be enjoyable as well. I think that everyone can find health foods and some sort of exercise that motivates them.
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If you have diabetes, your body cannot deal with sugar. Carbohydrates=sugar. Stop eating carbs. P.S. All sugar is 'added sugar'.
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The sugar in fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy, etc. are not 'added sugar.' And your body processes these sugars in different ways than it does added sugars. For example, the sugars that are suspended in the fiber of fruits and vegetables are metabolized at a much slower rate than added sugar. Fructose (as in high fructose corn syrup) is metabolized through the liver, unlike sucrose and lactose.
So no, they are not equivalent.
So no, they are not equivalent.
11
Actually, from personal experience with Type 1 diabetes, all carbs/sugars regardless of their source have the same effect on blood sugar. My blood sugar will skyrocket regardless of whether I eat grapes, oatmeal, or skittles. I agree with Nomi that your body cannot process sugar regardless of the source. The most effective and predictable way to manage blood sugars is to eat low carb.
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It would be informative examine the tests that determine if one is diabetic, the degree to which they are diabetic, and the change over time in the measurement results used to categorize someone as having diabetes.
It's very possible that the generalizations being made about changes in the number of people afflicted reflect changes in the measurement criteria more than anything else.
It's very possible that the generalizations being made about changes in the number of people afflicted reflect changes in the measurement criteria more than anything else.
7
I'd like to see nutrition classes in every middle/high school classroom. I've started a program in a primarily Black school in my town, and grab the interest of the class by asking how many students know people with amputated legs, diabetes, strokes? Hands up and by the end of the questioning period, most hands are up. Students become interested in learning how to prevent these conditions. Most students are interested in preventing these problems.
We're not a society into prevention of disease, rather we prefer symptom treatment. The medical establishment is only starting to catch up with the science of nutrition. Diet was not viewed as prime contributor to health. Rather than increasing various diabetic medications, we're now informing people about the importance of diet and exercise. We're becoming aware of the dangers of sugar, as a possible prime cause of Diabetes Type 2. In many cases, that disease can be avoided and even reversed with diet and exercise.
I'd like to see schools implement programs to inform our youth about the detrimental effect sugar has on their bodies. Sugar water, (soda), is a staple of many ordinary diets. (Diet sodas may possibly be as detrimental as regular sodas.) I'd like to see teens think about the effect diet has on their lives, though I'm certain I won't see a radical change in attitudes, just a seeding of healthy thought. My grandmother, mother and aunts had diabetes. I do not, attributable, to diet and exercise.
We're not a society into prevention of disease, rather we prefer symptom treatment. The medical establishment is only starting to catch up with the science of nutrition. Diet was not viewed as prime contributor to health. Rather than increasing various diabetic medications, we're now informing people about the importance of diet and exercise. We're becoming aware of the dangers of sugar, as a possible prime cause of Diabetes Type 2. In many cases, that disease can be avoided and even reversed with diet and exercise.
I'd like to see schools implement programs to inform our youth about the detrimental effect sugar has on their bodies. Sugar water, (soda), is a staple of many ordinary diets. (Diet sodas may possibly be as detrimental as regular sodas.) I'd like to see teens think about the effect diet has on their lives, though I'm certain I won't see a radical change in attitudes, just a seeding of healthy thought. My grandmother, mother and aunts had diabetes. I do not, attributable, to diet and exercise.
23
I was just thinking the same thing, that I would like to start something in the schools or with Social Services to teach young women to cook, farm to table. It really doesn't take that long to put a wholesome meal on the table and have leftovers for lunches, etc. or to make soups from scratch. Kudos to you.
1
Being overweight (not grossly obese) is not a risk factor for early death. In fact being overweight gives you a slight advantage in life expectancy over a thin person.
However, having said that, being overweight contributes to a really bad quality of life, ie Diabetes, knee, foot, back operations, feeling generally lousy etc. etc. not to mention looking terrible.
Just like anything else in life, give the child a good education re health and at 18 let them decide how they want to live.
However, having said that, being overweight contributes to a really bad quality of life, ie Diabetes, knee, foot, back operations, feeling generally lousy etc. etc. not to mention looking terrible.
Just like anything else in life, give the child a good education re health and at 18 let them decide how they want to live.
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The vast amounts of added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and added vegetable oils (such as soybean and corn) in the American diet are killing us. Just about any pre-packaged or prepared foodstuff contains two to three of these in quantities inconceivable several generations ago. As I've hit middle age head on, I've become more and more aware of this unholy trinity that lurks in everything from bottled salad dressing, to commercial pizza, to granola bars.
The solution is to largely eat home cooked meals prepared from simple, whole ingredients. But, as we all know, this is a fraught message - tied up with intractable problems of overwork, poverty, lack of nutrition knowledge and cooking skills, and families stressed to the breaking point. But at the end of the day, expecting corporations to prioritize the nation's health over profits is like expecting the fox to guard the hen house.
The solution is to largely eat home cooked meals prepared from simple, whole ingredients. But, as we all know, this is a fraught message - tied up with intractable problems of overwork, poverty, lack of nutrition knowledge and cooking skills, and families stressed to the breaking point. But at the end of the day, expecting corporations to prioritize the nation's health over profits is like expecting the fox to guard the hen house.
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As someone who has a family history of diabetes, I find it hard to consistently change my diet and also have convenience. I cannot buy any pre-prepared food that has less than 45 carbs a serving or so. Yogurt, cereal, bread, soy milk, salads, all are loaded with hidden carbs and sugar. The only way to get the guideline amount of 15 carbs a meal or so is to go on a low carb diet and prepare all my food from scratch. This is not a practical solution for a busy professional. So I try my best, and my numbers stay about the same. At least my diabetes is not getting worse. I would love to see the food industry get rid of all the sugar that they put into every single food item. (does yogurt really need 16 grams of sugar?) This would give me both convenience and variety on those days I cannot cook a meal from farm to table.
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You can buy yogurt that has only five or si rams of sugar per cup.
4
Not a practical solution? Cook in big batches on weekends and refrigerate/freeze individual servings for the week ahead. Once you get your system down, you will find that you can cook for the entire week in just one day. You can swing that, can't you, busy professional?
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A portion of the "sugar" in yogurt is lactose, the naturally occurring "sugar" in dairy products. Plain yogurt or artificially sweetened yogurt should have less than 10 grams of carbs/sugar per serving.
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Congratulations, Ms. Carpenter! Bring other people along with you -- being healthy is more fun when you aren't alone in it.
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This article just convinces me every public school child should have continuous nutrition classes until they graduate high school and learn how and what to eat.
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Just brief nutrition classes would be enough. We had home economics when I was a kid. Now it's been cut out, and we see the results.
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Dear NYT: In your reporting on "diabetes" would you please, please draw a sharper distinction between Type 2 (which is the near exclusive subject of your reporting) and Type 1.
I understand that the research you're reporting on includes both kinds, but since Type 1 is not at all prevented by diet and exercise it doesn't help to lump both kinds together simply as "diabetes" and then report on Type 2.
There is considerable public misunderstanding of the two diseases, and reporting on them as though they're the same disease only exacerbates that misunderstanding.
I understand that the research you're reporting on includes both kinds, but since Type 1 is not at all prevented by diet and exercise it doesn't help to lump both kinds together simply as "diabetes" and then report on Type 2.
There is considerable public misunderstanding of the two diseases, and reporting on them as though they're the same disease only exacerbates that misunderstanding.
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As long as you do NOT use the distinction to claim there are two types of diabetics -- the innocent & blameless and the "bad people who eat sweets". That is false and unfair. BOTH ARE DISEASES, Type 1 and Type II.
I know of 2 sweet little girls in my neighborhood, each diagnosed around age 10 with Type ONE diabetes. They are slender, as are most Type 1 diabetics. However, in SCHOOL, they are ridiculed and shamed by other children -- as "fat" and "you gave yourself diabetes because you eat too many sweets!" and so forth.
This is a disgrace. Not just because people stupidly don't know the difference between each type -- but because they feel ENTITLED to shame SOME PEOPLE for their disease, while holding others blameless.
Nobody GIVES themselves diabetes. It is a disease. It is inherited. Diet can ameliorate the symptoms, but no food CAUSES diabetes -- not even pure cane sugar.
It is this kind of thinking -- shaming and blaming -- that keep people from getting effective treatments.
I know of 2 sweet little girls in my neighborhood, each diagnosed around age 10 with Type ONE diabetes. They are slender, as are most Type 1 diabetics. However, in SCHOOL, they are ridiculed and shamed by other children -- as "fat" and "you gave yourself diabetes because you eat too many sweets!" and so forth.
This is a disgrace. Not just because people stupidly don't know the difference between each type -- but because they feel ENTITLED to shame SOME PEOPLE for their disease, while holding others blameless.
Nobody GIVES themselves diabetes. It is a disease. It is inherited. Diet can ameliorate the symptoms, but no food CAUSES diabetes -- not even pure cane sugar.
It is this kind of thinking -- shaming and blaming -- that keep people from getting effective treatments.
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@Concerned Citizen:
_Susceptibility_ to type 2 diabetes is inherited. Rates of type 2 diabetes have increased very rapidly in just two generations, much faster than can be explained by genetics alone. Something or somethings in the environment has changed. Dietary factors are likely suspects.
This is a description and not a moral judgement. Nobody deserves to get sick. But we won't fix the problem by throwing up our hands and saying "nothing causes type 2 diabetes." Something(s) does.
_Susceptibility_ to type 2 diabetes is inherited. Rates of type 2 diabetes have increased very rapidly in just two generations, much faster than can be explained by genetics alone. Something or somethings in the environment has changed. Dietary factors are likely suspects.
This is a description and not a moral judgement. Nobody deserves to get sick. But we won't fix the problem by throwing up our hands and saying "nothing causes type 2 diabetes." Something(s) does.
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I think what Concerned Citizen was trying to say is not that we should claim that nothing causes Type 2 diabetes, but rather that not all the causes are under the control of the person with the disease. We also do not know everything about who is more likely to get it and who is not.
People in my family tend to get it when they hit late middle age, regardless of whether or not they're overweight or not and regardless of what diet they're eating. My tiny mother was prediabetic and prednisone pushed her over into diabetes. I was tested throughout my adult life. My sugar levels were normal, no matter what I ate or what I weighed or how much exercise I did, until I hit my late 50s. Then, even though I was eating the diet the diabetes educator told me to eat and walking a couple of miles taking the bus and train to work, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Since that diet and amount of exercise wasn't doing anything to reduce my glucose levels, I researched and switched to a low carb plan, while continuing to exercise. That reduced my glucose levels to normal.
But that doesn't mean I "reversed" or "cured" the disease. You can't do either of those things. If I stop exercising enough and/or start adding too many carbs to my diet, my sugar levels shoot back up. So be wary of anyone who claims they can reverse or cure the disease. All you can do is manage it.
People in my family tend to get it when they hit late middle age, regardless of whether or not they're overweight or not and regardless of what diet they're eating. My tiny mother was prediabetic and prednisone pushed her over into diabetes. I was tested throughout my adult life. My sugar levels were normal, no matter what I ate or what I weighed or how much exercise I did, until I hit my late 50s. Then, even though I was eating the diet the diabetes educator told me to eat and walking a couple of miles taking the bus and train to work, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Since that diet and amount of exercise wasn't doing anything to reduce my glucose levels, I researched and switched to a low carb plan, while continuing to exercise. That reduced my glucose levels to normal.
But that doesn't mean I "reversed" or "cured" the disease. You can't do either of those things. If I stop exercising enough and/or start adding too many carbs to my diet, my sugar levels shoot back up. So be wary of anyone who claims they can reverse or cure the disease. All you can do is manage it.
5
Years ago I worked with a guy who would bring a six-pack of cola in a mini cooler to work every day. His cubicle and his desk were filled with junk snacks. To this day I cannot stand the smell of microwave popcorn. Nice guy and a very good co-worker but it was painful to see him gaining weight, wheezing and barely able to fit in to his office chair. He took another job and the new guy who took over the cubicle found two bags of unopened mini chocolate bars in the back of a file drawer. No one ever microwaved popcorn again, either, as we were all sick of the smell.
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What does this have to do with diabetes?
Do you think diabetes is caused by mini-bags of microwave popcorn? Or chocolate bars?
If you do think that -- you are completely wrong.
BTW: even among FAT PEOPLE, only 20% ever develop Type II diabetes. That means 80% -- the vast majority -- do not.
Do you think diabetes is caused by mini-bags of microwave popcorn? Or chocolate bars?
If you do think that -- you are completely wrong.
BTW: even among FAT PEOPLE, only 20% ever develop Type II diabetes. That means 80% -- the vast majority -- do not.
11
This was over 20 years ago. I know now that the same man has diabetes (I don't know the type) along with multiple other health problems. Were the diet of junk foods, his chronic obesity, and sedentary lifestyle contributors to his diabetes? Maybe, maybe not.
6
"BTW: even among FAT PEOPLE, only 20% ever develop Type II diabetes. That means 80% -- the vast majority -- do not."
OTOH, even fewer smokers develop lung cancer. That doesn't make smoking good! A 20% rate of this terrible illness is still pretty high -- and it isn't the only negative health consequence of obesity. A bit padding isn't harmful, but overall, the higher levels of obesity are as dangerous as smoking.
OTOH, even fewer smokers develop lung cancer. That doesn't make smoking good! A 20% rate of this terrible illness is still pretty high -- and it isn't the only negative health consequence of obesity. A bit padding isn't harmful, but overall, the higher levels of obesity are as dangerous as smoking.
5
Wow, this is great news. I credit the war against added sugar and the campaign to get us back on our feet and exercising more. And yes, I might just give Michelle Obama a tiny, eentsy-weentsy bit of applause.
77
Good news, of course. Now let's find the cure for Type 1 I've been waiting for for 40 years.
40
I think to find the "cure" for type 1 diabetes and many other diseases and conditions we need to look at all the toxic chemicals in our environment. Nicholas Krisfoff has an excellent article on just this topic elsewhere in the NYT.
"She weaned herself off Coca-Cola, going from about 50 cans a week to fewer than seven."
Oh.my.god. And we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic! What makes this doubly sad is that she's reduced her consumption only from quickly lethal to slowly lethal.
Soda is a confection, not a staple, and because it has no bulk and half of its calories are from fructose, which has no effect on appetite, it is uniquely obesogenic.
Clearly, we need to do a better job of educating people on contemporary nutrition if we are to undo the effects of decades of all-calories-are-the-same diet quackery from the medical establishment.
Oh.my.god. And we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic! What makes this doubly sad is that she's reduced her consumption only from quickly lethal to slowly lethal.
Soda is a confection, not a staple, and because it has no bulk and half of its calories are from fructose, which has no effect on appetite, it is uniquely obesogenic.
Clearly, we need to do a better job of educating people on contemporary nutrition if we are to undo the effects of decades of all-calories-are-the-same diet quackery from the medical establishment.
81
God knows, it is a bad and costly habit. But a lot of people just adore their soda.
I myself do not like carbonated beverages, so I am strictly an iced-tea person -- and I prefer it unsweetened.
But that does not make me a candidate for sainthood. Morality has nothing to do with food consumption.
It is worth noting that most people who consume vast quantities of soda are usually drinking DIET Coke or other diet pop -- they outsell regular Coke and soda by a wide margin. So they have no sugar or carbs, but they are empty of all nutrition -- and the acids are a misery on the enamel on your teeth.
I'd genuinely love to see schools return to teaching Home Ec (to BOYS and GIRLS) -- basic life skills, of cooking and sewing and homemaking -- as well as nutrition. Everything I learned as a kid about nutrition, I learned it in Home Ec class. Even though the textbooks were old (probably from the late 40s), the information in them was sound, and it has stayed with me for a lifetime.
I myself do not like carbonated beverages, so I am strictly an iced-tea person -- and I prefer it unsweetened.
But that does not make me a candidate for sainthood. Morality has nothing to do with food consumption.
It is worth noting that most people who consume vast quantities of soda are usually drinking DIET Coke or other diet pop -- they outsell regular Coke and soda by a wide margin. So they have no sugar or carbs, but they are empty of all nutrition -- and the acids are a misery on the enamel on your teeth.
I'd genuinely love to see schools return to teaching Home Ec (to BOYS and GIRLS) -- basic life skills, of cooking and sewing and homemaking -- as well as nutrition. Everything I learned as a kid about nutrition, I learned it in Home Ec class. Even though the textbooks were old (probably from the late 40s), the information in them was sound, and it has stayed with me for a lifetime.
15
Great news but again the article is written in a manner that suggests that Type 2 diabetes is acquired by eating too much sugar. Type 2 is still a genetic response in many as a means of dealing with excess calories in balance with activity. Type 2 is resistance to insulin utilization that appears as a result. There are people with Type 2 that are not obese just as there are obese people who do not have Type 2 diabetes. It is not a cause and effect. Weight control and activity will put the symptoms in remission it does not cure Type 2 diabetes. Because one cannot know about one's response to obesity or inactivity promotion of healthy living is important. On the other hand because there is likely the genetic factor in Type 2 diabetes one should not use the that as an excuse, as some do in this country, to blame the victim as having some kind of moral or willful weakness.
14
A gentle reminder that single examples are not data. Not all obese people drink sugared soda, or, for that matter, any carbonated beverages at all. The so-called "obesity epidemic" is, like other complicated phenomena, multi-determined.
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