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Undiagnosed cases estimated at 8
million, including many who are fit
By Bob Hawkinson
Author, The Joy of Diabetes
Even in the mid 1960s, my mother had good
intuition about the important role exercise
played in controlling my Juvenile Diabetes.
Though I was diagnosed with diabetes just
after my first birthday, mom was relentless
in having me “go outside and play and
stop watching TV!”
During the 40-plus years since then, one
thing has become abundantly clear: My blood
sugar control is much improved through
exercise. Taking the proper medication,
eating correctly and exercising are the three
foundations of diabetic control. Exercise
improves a diabetic’s metabolism and
insulin usage.
Unfortunately, this lesson will need to be
taught to many Americans. It is estimated
that there are approximately 3-4 million Type
1 diabetics and 19-20 million Type 2
diabetics in the United States.
Think this doesn’t impact you?
Experts believe that about one-third of the
people who are diabetic don’t know they
have the disease, meaning there are
approximately 8 million undiagnosed diabetics
in the United States. Even if you avoid the
disease, it is almost certain to hit someone
you love; if current trends continue, 1 in 3
people will become diabetic in their
lifetime.
I wish I could tell you that being fit
makes you immune to diabetes. While there is
a genetic predisposition to become diabetic
and even “fit” people can be hit
by the disease, the number of diabetes
incidence is much higher in people who are
overweight and in poor shape or health.
So we can look at your approach to
diabetes on two levels:
- Exercise, many agree, helps reduce the
likelihood of diabetes.
- For those becoming diabetic, exercise is
crucial as it helps speed up the metabolism
and the benefits of insulin. You sometimes
hear of “reversing
diabetes” but I am not sure that is
accurate. People are often genetically
predisposed but may be able to
“control” it through
exercise and diet
Whether you are exercising to decrease
your chances of diabetes or exercising as
part of your diabetes control strategy, I
recommend any safe exercise that will be
sustained. If you enjoy it, you will continue
doing it. For instance, I love to bike ride
and I also use a Trikke--they are both fun so
I keep riding them. A diabetic is just like
everyone else when it comes to the need for
exercise. However, the downsides of not
exercising are often worse for a diabetic.
More specifically, people who overtax
their pancreas by poor diet, lack of
exercise, and being overweight stand to
benefit dramatically from cardio exercises.
Like any other person embarking on an
exercise program, diabetics must consult
their physician before beginning and I urge
them to use a certified professional trainer
to develop a customized fitness program.
Consulting these professionals is extremely
important; anything that could complicate the
control people have over their diabetes must
be monitored closely. For example, long,
aggressive cardio exercise must be managed
aggressively through carbohydrate intake and
insulin management.
With the right monitoring, there is
practically no limit on how rigorous
diabetics can exercise. There is currently a
cross country bicycle team of diabetics who
are all using insulin pumps. They are doing
incredibly well and are very competitive!
We must do our best to avoid the disease
and control it when it becomes a reality.
Beyond the human cost, diabetes is a fiscally
expensive disease to manage. Diabetes will
continue to be a huge drain on the finances
of the diabetics, the insurance companies and
Medicare/Medicaid. As diabetics continue to
live longer, the treatment costs on the
medical system will be massive. The size of
the problem may actually be under reported,
since a problem created by diabetes is often
cited as the cause of death. Heart disease
among diabetics is common, so not only is the
cost of diabetes large, but so are the
secondary diseases that come with it.
Today is the day to commit to one of two
action plans: 1) exercise to decrease your
chances of becoming diabetic or 2) use
exercise to help control your diabetes.
Bob is the author of The Joy
of Diabetes, a book he wrote
because he continually comes in contact with
people who either are diabetic or have a
loved one who is diabetic and in poor control
of their diabetes and suffering negative
complications. His goal is to inspire these
people to “Take the disease by the
horns and wrestle it to the
ground.”
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