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November is American Diabetes Month
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Nearly 8% of the U.S.population has diabetes.
November is American Diabetes Month and the American Diabetes Foundation has launched a $1 Million dollar campaign entitled “Kiss Diabetes Goodbye” to help fund research and support diabetes education programs in communities across the country. The V8 brand will match every dollar raised up to $100,000! Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca will match donations up to $25,000.
There is no cure for diabetes; there are nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease.
Diabetes is a relentless, debilitating and deadly disease. It’s a disorder in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune disorder-a problem with the body's immune system. In a healthy body, specialized cells (called beta cells) in the pancreas make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows the body to use energy from food. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakes beta cells for invaders and attacks them. When enough beta cells are destroyed, symptoms of diabetes appear.
In type 2 diabetes, the beta cells still produce insulin. However, either the cells do not respond properly to the insulin or the insulin produced naturally is not enough to meet the needs of the body. So insulin is usually still present in a person with type 2 diabetes, but it does not work as well as it should. While diabetes occurs in people of all ages and races, some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.
A diabetes myth - diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar. This myth probably began when people with diabetes were absolutely forbidden from consuming sugar. Researchers no longer believe this.
In this country one in three kids faces a future with diabetes. Get involved and support the American Diabetes Foundation.
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