Diabetes on the Decline

One of the biggest killers of humans is on the decline for the first time in decades. Diabetes type 2, the disease that has followed obesity, genes and type 1 diabetes could be on its way out. These disorders which can create high levels of glucose in the blood due to the inability to efficiently manage insulin, may possibly be responding to advancements in lifestyle changes.

With a statistic like 382 million people worldwide afflicted in 2013 by diabetes (90% type 2), a decline is big news.

The CDC Announcement

According to the New York Times (12/1/15), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that,

“The rate of new cases fell by about a fifth from 2008 to 2014, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first sustained decline since the disease started to explode in this country about 25 years ago. The drop has been gradual and for a number of years was not big enough to be statistically meaningful. But new data for 2014 released on Tuesday serves as a robust confirmation that the decline is real, officials said. There were 1.4 million new cases of diabetes in 2014, down from 1.7 million in 2008.”

Theories of the Healing

Most medical professionals considered diabetes a continuing health concern with numbers rising exponentially throughout its ugly history. However, at this juncture some theories of such a decline are being discussed.

Here’s the skinny:

“Experts say they do not know whether efforts to prevent diabetes have finally started to work, or if the disease has simply peaked in the population.” (NT Times)

“It has finally entered into the consciousness of our population that the sedentary lifestyle is a real problem, that increased body weight is a real problem,” (David Nathan, the director of the Diabetes Center and Clinical Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital)

“Researchers don’t know why the number of cases fell but note that it is one of several signs that Americans are generally becoming healthier, Sabrina Tavernise reports for the New York Times.” (The Advisory Board Co)

“While experts say the percent of Americans with diabetes is still more than double what it was in the early 1990s, “there is growing evidence that eating habits, after decades of deterioration, have finally begun to improve,” (NY Times)

Be a Cliche′

Supporting the data affiliated with this diabetes decline is to become a diabetes decline cliche′. This means that by following an anti-diabetes diet, you could be a contributing factor for these results. Of course it is hard for the medical research community to grant such a broad stroke as there is no official diet data attached to the current decline.

However, with simple lifestyle changes, diabetes seems to be taking a big hit and it may be attributed to diet and exercise. The Mayo Clinic has setup a ‘Diabetes Diet’ recommendation which could be the best “medicine” in this fight yet.

• Complex Carbs – By choosing fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains (i.e: brown rice) the breakdown and assimilation of the sugars and starches created could be more manageable.
• Fiber Rich – Complex carbs are also rich in fiber which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease as well as help control blood sugar levels.
• Fish – Small game, non-fried fish such as mackerel, cod, halibut and sardines have been found to be the best choice in lieu of eating high-fat meats. These heart healthy fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for reducing bad fats such as triglycerides.
• Go Good Fats – Stick to moderate levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are found in avocados, olive oils, almonds, pecans, walnuts as well as peanut oils. These fats have been linked to reducing cholesterol, a major player in diabetes.

Stay the Course

If you are struggling with diabetes or simply the threat of this disease, changing your diet could save your life. Listen to your doctor’s instructions regarding how you manage your carbohydrates, which in turn means your glycemic (blood sugar) index, and check to see if the above Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet is acceptable.

In turn, get plenty of exercise including cardiovascular fitness to maintain optimal circulation as well as lose dangerous fat.

With diabetes on the decline now is the time to increase awareness of how to maintain such positive results. Hopefully, in due time, diabetes and especially obesity will be as obsolete as past eradicated diseases such as polio, bubonic plague, and typhoid fever.