Diabetes Epidemic
Before the discovery of insulin in the early 1920s by Dr Frederick Banting and Dr Charles Best, diabetes was a fatal disease with no known methods of treatment or prevention. Their discovery has since led to a rash of research into the mechanisms of diabetes, its management, and the possibility of a cure. In 2004, more than $36 million was invested in research by the American Diabetes Association alone, almost doubling its financial research support from 5 years prior. These sorts of investments have generated many new possibilities for the prevention and management of diabetes.
However, the prevalence of diabetes continues to rise, burdening our healthcare system with exploding costs. The World Health Organization predicts that diabetes will be one of the worst killers in the world by the year 2025, affecting some 300 million people worldwide. Diabetes is already costing American taxpayers $132 billion every year, representing $1.00 out of every $10.00 spent on health care. More than 60 million visits to physicians are related to diabetes each year, and since 5.2 billion people are believed to be pre-diabetic or undiagnosed, these statistics are likely vastly minimized. Combined with an epidemic of obesity in both children and adults linked directly with diabetes, this disease poses a huge health challenge in North America. These numbers are truly staggering, especially considering that we now know that diabetes can be largely prevented – or at least more effectively managed – through dietary and lifestyle modifications.
Diabetes is a complicated disease, and you’ll soon find that despite significant progress in our knowledge, there are still competing theories on causes, prevention, and even treatments. By having a better understanding of your own illness, you’ll be equipped to make sound decisions in your own care and treatment. Preventive health care is essential in alleviating the health and financial costs associated with diabetes. This includes health education on diabetes prevention, effective and early diagnoses, and better management strategies to prevent diabetic complications. In addition to eliminating the suffering of diabetics, there is also a financial advantage to preventive treatments for diabetics. The American Diabetes Association claims that more money is currently spent on treating the chronic complications of diabetes than on standard diabetic care.
The good news is that the best prevention and treatment for diabetes is simply healthy living. In fact, many of the lifestyle and nutrition recommendations made in this book are also recommended for non-diabetics interested in disease prevention. This book then presents a number of opportunities. For the Type I diabetic, there is opportunity to get better control of blood sugar fluctuations and to prevent some of the long-term side effects of the disease. For the Type II diabetic, there is the possibility of managing and even reversing the condition with safe, natural therapies and lifestyle changes. And for the person with ‘prediabetes’ (hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and metabolic syndrome), there is the opportunity to prevent these conditions from resulting in progressively deteriorating health.
