- Release Number: 122–07
- Date: November 1, 2007
- Contact: Kevin Robinson, Media Relations
- Tel.: (804) 734–8773
- E–mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
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Are you at risk for having diabetes?
By
Maj. Karen Fauber
, DeCA dietitian
Fort Lee, Va. – Up to 6 million of the 21 million Americans who have diabetes do not know it. If you think you don’t have to worry about it, think again. November is National Diabetes Month and the rate of diabetes continues to increase. In the last 15 years the number of people in the United States with the disease has doubled every year. As many as one in five Americans over age 65 have it. Those under 65 are at risk, too, especially if they have any of the other risk factors that contribute to developing diabetes.
Diabetes is more common among African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. And, there is a rising trend in children and teenagers developing diabetes.
The following are risk factors for diabetes that everyone should be aware of:
-
Family history of diabetes
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Being overweight or obese
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Having pre–diabetes
-
Having had diabetes during pregnancy
To find out your risk for diabetes take the
risk test
.
People who have diabetes have a shortage of insulin or a decreased ability to use it. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key to open cells allowing glucose to be used for energy. When diabetes is not controlled, blood sugar and fats remain in the blood which, overtime, can damage the body organs. Diabetes contributes to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, amputations and death.
Recent studies have found that lifestyle changes that include moderate weight loss and exercise can prevent the onset of diabetes among adults at high risk. Also, research has found that better blood sugar control reduces the risk for eye disease, kidney disease, and nerve disease by 40 percent in people with diabetes. Talk with your doctor to find out if you need to be examined for diabetes; the process includes a simple blood test.
You can help reduce your risk for diabetes by doing the following:
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Managing your weight to include losing weight if needed
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Being physically active 30 to 60 minutes a day (walking, cycling, jogging, swimming)
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When shopping at your commissary choose fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods to prepare healthy meals
See you in the commissary!
For more information on on diabetes or other nutrition topics, visit the
DeCA Dietitian
, post your questions on the
DeCA Dietitian Forum
and be sure to look for other useful information in The
Dietitian’s Voice archive
.
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5–percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings worth about $3,000 annually for a family of four. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
 
