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Putting the Diabetes Problem in Perspective

It is likely that each one of us knows at least one person with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in America, and while our methods of managing the disease have improved over the years, it is still a serious condition that can affect lifestyles. However, it is also a disease that has been with us for centuries now, which means we often overlook how serious the diabetes problem has become in America.

The Center for Disease Control and Emory University in Atlanta estimate that 2 in 5 Americans will develop diabetes, more than likely type 2 diabetes, sometime in their life. Additionally, over 50% of some ethnicities will also develop some type of diabetes.

Part of this alarming statistic comes from the fact that people are living longer lives, meaning that there are simply more years where they can develop diabetes. However, researchers also point to dietary changes in American eating habits, including eating at restaurants more often, eating larger amounts of food than recommended, and increasing the amount of refined sugar in diets.

If this isn’t alarming enough, the National Health Interview Survey showed that the lifetime risk of diabetes developing in women rose from 26.6% to 39.6% and 20.2% to 40.2% for men compared to risk measured in 1985-1989.

  • So what can you do to minimize your risk of diabetes?
  • Maintain a healthy weight. This means keeping your body mass index (BMI) less than 25.
  • Exercise. It has been shown that 30 minutes of exercise a day can significantly reduce the chances of developing diabetes.
  • Eat a healthy diet. This includes not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking, or fatty foods.

If you follow these steps, you can reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes and help you enjoy a long, healthy, and happy life. If you feel like you may be at risk of developing diabetes, consider setting up an appointment with the doctors at MSCI and discuss the factors in your life that you can change to help you minimize risk.

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Brown Fat vs Normal Fat: Getting the Skinny

When we think of fat, we typically think of expanding pant/dress sizes, unhealthy eating habits, or something similar. America is obsessed with fat, whether in regards to appearance or dieting. However, the one aspect of fat that we tend to overlook is that not all fat is bad! In fact, there are some kinds of fat that researchers think might help your health.

It was once assumed that brown fat was bad for us, but recently researchers have discovered that brown fat is actually found more often in skinny or lean people and may be able to be stimulated to burn calories. Furthermore, brown fat is also more common in children and more active in those people living in colder climates. That’s because brown fat helps individuals keep warm during the winter. But that’s not to say people have a lot of brown fat: in fact, an average 150-pound adult would only have around 2 or 3 ounces of brown fat compared to 20 to 30 pounds of fat.

Another study, conducted by senior author Dr. Labros S. Sidossis, points to a possibility that brown fat might serve as an antidiabetic tissue. A test conducted exposed a group of individuals to cold weather, which “triggered” the brown fat. Then they had their glucose levels tested, as well as insulin, hormone and oxygen levels. What the researchers found was that brown fat consumed a “significant [amount] of blood sugar.” While brown fat might not be the miracle cure to obesity or help prevent diabetes, scientists are always looking for new insights into our anatomy and biology that may unlock procedures and methods to improve our health.

So while white fat might just be the calorie-storing matter that many of us try to avoid, brown fat might help us actually lose weight and resist diseases like diabetes.