Obesity & Diabetes - The Double Whammy

There are many things that put people's health in jeopardy. Two of the biggest health concerns around the world are Obesity and Diabetes - and guess what, they're even linked. November is Diabetes Awareness Month and November 14 is designated as World Diabetes Day. This day commemorates the birthday of Frederick Banting, who along with Charles Best, discovered insulin in 1922. The day is meant to raise awareness of the disease, its prevention, and the complications it causes for people who have diabetes.

Obesity is the leading cause of Type 2 Diabetes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that people are obese if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above. A BMI of 30 means you are about 30 pounds over ideal weight.

Implications and Complications of Obesity and Diabetes

Amputations
Heart disease
Stroke
Blindness, Cataracts, Glaucoma
Kidney disease
Gallbladder disease
High blood pressure
Circulatory and nerve defects and damage
Hard-to-heal infections
Osteoarthritis
Sleep apnea and breathing problems
Some cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder, and liver)
Hearing Loss
Mental Illness and Depression
Dementia
5.4 and 18.1 days of absenteeism from work per year (78.5 days of absenteeism, if you add in depression!)

Obesity and Diabetes in North Carolina

11.4% of all adults in NC have Diabetes
32.1% of all adults in NC are Obese (NC is ranked 19th Highest State for Obesity)
42.7% Black
30.0% Latino
29.9% White
33.9% Women
32.1% Men
16.7% 18-25 Years Old
33.0% 26-44 Years Old
42.4% 45-64 Years Old
27.6% 65+ Years Old

The great news is that Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes are preventable - and in many cases reversible - with diet and exercise! Stay tuned for next week's blog on approaches to treatment and let BMI Wellness Concepts help you Get Well, Be Well and Stay Well.

#Diabetes #Obesity #WorldDiabetesDay #DiabetesAwarenessMonth