Published: May 20, 2008 04:28 pm            

Now is the time to prevent diabetes

Cooking school offered at OSU Extension Center in Ada

Pre-diabetes should not be ignored and now is the time to take action and prevent diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association termed pre-diabetes to describe the condition of having blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet diabetic. This is known in medicine as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose.

Statistics from the ADA show in America 20.8 million children and adults have diabetes and 54 million more Americans have pre-diabetes.

A major factor related to the increase in type 2 diabetes is the increase incidence of obesity. More than 60 percent of people in the United States are considered significantly overweight and the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled in the past 20 years.

Before a person develops type 2 diabetes, they may have pre-diabetes, according to research. If action is taken to manage blood glucose then a person can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

A person can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by making changes to diet and incorporating exercise into daily activities.

Losing only 10 to 15 pounds can reduce the risk of developing pre-diabetes. One can do this by adding just 30 minutes of moderate exercise into a daily routine and making dietary adjustments.

Many people with pre-diabetes often do not have any symptoms.

Sometimes people have diabetes and don't know because the symptoms are very gradual while some people have no symptoms at all.

Symptoms of diabetes include unusual thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision and feeling tired most of the time for no reason.

The ADA suggests if a person is overweight and is age 45 or older, than it is important to be checked for pre-diabetes during the next routine medical office visit. People who are over age 45 and normal weight should ask the doctor if testing is appropriate.

Adults younger than 45 and overweight should talk to their doctor about testing and risk factors. Risk factors include high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides, a family history of diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes, giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, or belonging to an ethnic or minority group.

For more information on diabetic diets and to learn to cook for person's diabetes, attend the Diabetic Cooking School that will be held on May 23rd and June 3rd at the Pontotoc County OSU Extension Office. These two schools will offer information on food choices, exchanges and cooking for a healthy diet. To enroll call the OSU Extension Office at 580-332-2153, space is limited, a $5.00 registration fee is required at the time of enrollment.

        

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