A shortened version of the illness Diabetes Mellitus. A condition where there is an excess of glucose in the blood, due primarily either to the body being unable to produce enough insulin to manage this glucose or the inability of the body to utilise this insulin.

This illness is so common. The World Health Organisation estimates that currently there are about 246 million people worldwide suffering from diabetes. Figures are estimated to reach 380 million by the year 2025. The costs in treating this as yet incurable disease comes to billions of dollars yearly. The costs of managing the complications of the illness comes to even more billions of dollars. And yet the word diabetes fails to strike fear in a lot of people. Who has not heard of a friend or relative with diabetes? This problem is so commonplace these days that one lives with it, not bothering too much until the complications of diabetes hits one in the face.

Common problems to look forward to in poorly-managed diabetes:
Eyes: cataract, glaucoma, retinal tears, retinal bleeds, blindness
Kidneys: kidney failure
Heart: heart attacks
Brain: strokes
Skin: Increased skin infection, poor healing wounds
Limbs: poor blood supply leading to pain, painless ulceration due to nerve destruction, gangrene leading to loss of limbs by amputation

These are only a few of the more common complications.

Fortunately most patients recover from this problem after surgery.

Not really. What is true is that after a 25-year period, statistics are finally showing that the percentage of obese or overweight American Kids has levelled off, when it was initially increasing.

Detail: According to studies by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2003 – 2004 and 2005 – 2006 about 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent of children were obese and an unfortunate 11 percent were extremely obese. Since 1980, those levels had risen consistently, but finally we see a leveling off.

Some celebration is in order. Efforts to emphasize better eating habits and the need to exercise are finally paying off. Over the past 25 years, awareness of the dangers of eating too much junk food and of the benefits of exercise is increasing. Parents and teachers who grew up in this era are finally succeeding in their efforts in reducing obesity.

Eat whole grain carbohydrates. Avoid white or processed carbs that come in boxes or contain added sugar.

Eat more fish and poultry, avoiding high fat beef and pork products.

Drink more water. Avoid soda, sweetened juice, and other beverages with empty calories.

Exercise vigorously 3 times a week, for at least 30 minutes per session.

When eating fast food try to avoid mayo, other high fat condiments, beef, bacon, and high fat salad dressings. There is typically a salad or grilled chicken meal at every fast food restaurant that you can opt for instead.

What people refer to as Diabetes or Diabities is actually the short form of Diabetes Mellitus, a disease that occurs when there is an elevation of sugar blood level (commonly referred to as blood glucose level). Glucose is a form of energy that the body needs for it to function normally.

The common sources of glucose in humans is through food
1. Starchy foods (carbohydrates) such as rice, bread, and noodles
2. Actual glucose whether in simple glucose form or complex forms (such as fruit sugars, milk sugars, honey,) which are broken down into simple sugars in the body.

Once glucose is absorbed in through the intestines, it is distributed throughout the whole body. At the cellular level, a hormone called insulin is responsible for the entry of glucose into the cells for usage.  It is at this level where we see certain situations whereby there is a resistance to the effect of insulin (insulin resistance) giving rise to an increased sugar blood level.  Another diabetes cause is where there is inadequate or no production of insulin by the cells responsible for this, known as the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.

Treatment of diabities in principle is quite simple

1. Start off on a diet for diabetes – with emphasis on healthy living and calorie control. Control of diabetes and diet are closely related.  Diabetic treatment with drugs but without dietary control is not ideal.

2. Diabetic Drugs. Two major varieties are often described - One type to stimulate the release of insulin from the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, the other type to promote the movement of sugar into the cells.

3. Insulin therapy.

4. Management of complications of diabities (both prevention of these complications and treatment of complications of diabetes if and when they occur), for example, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, nerve complications, skin problems, etc.  More about this in another article.

Diabities Complications - Early detection and management is essential.