Diabetes is a horrible genetic disorder, and non-diabetics are lucky that they do not have to prick their fingers before every meal and watch everything they eat for the rest of their lives.
Therefore we focus a lot of our attention on reducing risks, where possible, so that you do not develop diabetes.
My three top tips are:
- eat well
- get fit
- stop smoking.
The link between diabetes and obesity
Contributing to the incidence of diabetes, the world’s fastest growing chronic disease, is the obesity epidemic.
Poor diet contributes significantly to the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Australia and globally.
Previously we were worried about our fat intake, but recent studies have focused more on the dangers of refined sugar.
Avoiding excessive sugar and carbohydrates will certainly help.
This is why I encourage anyone with diabetes to diet, exercise and lose weight, sometimes with the help of dietitians and diabetes educators.
Sometimes lifestyle changes don't go far enough
Lifestyle measures are sometimes not effective and despite the best efforts of both yourself and your doctor, most people diagnosed with diabetes do not lose weight.
For those who cannot manage to lose weight, weight loss surgery has been a progressive step and there are a multitude of treatments available, ranging from tablets to injectable options.
But the future is bright
We are living in exciting times, with so many new treatments available.
The first line treatment is metformin - a common medication which helps to lower blood glucose levels.
After that, there is a wide range of different treatments depending on your needs.
Extensive research into the complex nature of diabetes will also lead to more advances in treatment.
Type 2 diabetes is a far more sophisticated and multi-factorial disease than previously thought, with multi-organ involvement.
We now understand that it affects many organs in the body, including the brain, kidneys, gut, liver and musculoskeletal system.
This more recent research will present a great opportunity to explore new, exciting treatments in the future.
