Significance of Lifestyle Change in Diabetes Prevention - Article Example

The Significance of Lifestyle Change in Diabetes Prevention Introduction A clear indication of the tremendous strides made in the healthcare field is the fact that researchers have come up with mechanisms for preventing, treating and eradicating most communicable diseases. However, a rather unfortunate shift has come to the forefront in the recent past: the fact that the occurrences of non-communicable illnesses such as obesity, cancer and diabetes has risen steadily. In the United States, for example, the incidences of diabetes have been steadily escalating, as it has been affecting both youths and senior citizens alike. However, studies reveal that close to about 10% of deaths that result from diabetes are not often reported. The condition was the seventh leading cause of death in 2010.2 In addition, diabetes is expensive, as the government and the families of the affected often spend a lot of income in trying to provide high-quality healthcare services for their loved ones. Physical therapy, medication and proper diet together form the solution for treatment of diabetes. The project provides more insight into some of the mechanisms that prevent full-blown diabetes as well as most of the complications that come about due to the health condition. The article "Prediabetes? Get Yourself Moving but Do Not Jump Immediately to Drugs As an Answer", is highlighted in The Washington Post as of December 15, 2014. Main Arguments of the Article The article titled “Prediabetes? Get Yourself Moving but Do Not Jump Immediately to Drugs As an Answer”, appeared under the health and science section of The Washington Post on December 15th last year. In as much as the commentary was put together by Consumer Reports, the message delivered throughout the editorial seems apparent. The major argument in the article is that the occurrence of diabetes in the United States is high notably because close to a third of the adult population, which translates to around 86 million citizens, suffer from prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition where the blood sugar level of a person is higher than the standard.1 The extraordinary prevalence of diabetes routinely comes about, for over 90% of those who suffer from prediabetes are not aware of it. The authors share the ideology that as prediabetics routinely embrace medication, the Federal Drug Administration has not availed any prediabetes drug in the market, implying that making such a call amounts to backing the wrong horse.1 Instead of embracing medication, the authors argue that changing an individual’s way of life and living healthy come in handy in reducing the risk of developing diabetes instead of resorting to medication. This is majorly because the body can become its doctor when subjected to the correct forms of exercises and maintained with a healthy diet. To support their perception, the authors of the report refer to a survey carried out among overweight and prediabetic patients. The report established that those who embraced change in lifestyle by engaging in physical exercises reduced the risk of diabetes by around 58%.1 On the other hand, those who deemed it fit to use various forms of medication such as placebo only reduced their risk by 31%. This implies that lifestyle change may be the ideal antidote for prediabetics. In the commentary, those who settled on change in lifestyle regained a little of the weight they had lost as time progressed. The fact that it significantly reduces the risk of diabetes makes it ideal.1 Going through the commentary that featured in The Washington Post, the authors continually make it apparent that they arrived at their verdicts after going through inputs from the Centre for Disease Control. Given the expertise that the CDC has in terms of personnel, equipment and other resources, it is evident that the insights contained in the commentary portray the situation on the ground. Target Audience of the Article Walking down the history lane, one discovers that previously the global population, over time, found it challenging to deal with the communicable diseases as non-communicable illnesses such as diabetes had low incidences. Since it came into the public sight in the 1970s, several hypotheses have been associated with diabetes. For example, some people believed that the condition only affects seniors and people of certain races.5 Some of these perceptions are true since people of some origins are more susceptible to diabetes than those from other races. In addition, studies on genetics and diabetes have pointed towards the fact that some people are at a higher chance of suffering from diabetes in comparison to others.5 Yet, the rate of occurrence of diabetes, since it came into the limelight, has been alarming. In 2000, for example, the World Health Organization claimed that 150 million people would be suffering from diabetes in 2010 and their prediction indeed happened. 3 In 2010, the same organization, in conjunction with other stakeholders in the health sector, claimed that the incidence of diabetes would escalate further to around 300 million by 2025. To this effect, it can be concluded that diabetes will, no doubt, grow into a global endemic.3 Geneticists and molecular biologists have routinely reaffirmed the fact that the fifteen years within which the incidence of diabetes has escalated is so little that mutations and alterations in the genomic composition are its main causes.5,6 This confirms that the escalation of diabetes can be attributed to change in lifestyle. To this end, it is far-reaching to concede that the commentary targets not only a section of the world but rather the entire global population. Adopting a healthy way of life is the only mechanism for preventing diabetes and most of the complexities that come with it, such as renal failure and cardiovascular related illnesses. Accuracy of the Article The authors of the commentary that appeared in The Washington Post have used surveys carried out on various sets of participants, as proof of their argument. Most of the surveys indeed reaffirmed the perception that living a healthy lifestyle comes in handy in preventing the development of diabetes from prediabetes. Physical therapy is a key preventive measure for the occurrence of diabetes. In like manner, such an approach is vital in preventing most of the diabetes-related complications. To prove further the accuracy of the article, it is of great significance to take into consideration the incidence of diabetes across the Mediterranean region and Western nations. The United States spends a considerable portion of its health budget on fighting diabetes, which is fast growing into a global endemic. In 2013, for example, the nation spent $245 billion on diagnosing and $176 billion on treating diabetes. Additionally, the country lost well over $70 billion in terms of reduced productivity because of the health condition. The significant amounts the United States spends on diabetes management as a whole are because most of its citizens fall victims to the disease.2 On the other hand, nations across the Mediterranean region have notably been identified as areas within which the incidence of diabetes and other non-communicable illnesses such as cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular related diseases is considerably low.5 The variance in the occurrence within the two regions can result from the fact that the occupants of the Mediterranean region often embrace a healthy way of life, as compared to many citizens of the Western regions.4 A Mediterranean diet reduces the chances of an individual suffering from diabetes. The natural spices and herbs used by citizens of the countries also maintain their health.5,6 On the other hand, a considerable percentage of Westerners do not exercise, and prefer processed foods to the natural spices, which is an event that has led to the high incidence of diabetes within the region and throughout the world. The fact that the impact of diabetes varies across different parts of the world based on lifestyle implies that, indeed, the commentary authored by Consumer Reports is accurate. Relevancy of the Article As highlighted in the section above, the World Health Organization has predicted that the occurrence of diabetes will have doubled by 2025,3 meaning that if the necessary mechanisms are not in place, diabetes will grow into a global endemic. Apart from providing statistics on diabetes, the commentary has gone a long way to elucidate the approaches that can be employed to avert diabetes, together with their merits and demerits. As a result, it is apparent that the article is relevant to the current and future generations mainly because it provides the ways of preventing the occurrence of diabetes. Regular exercise rectifies hepatic and skeletal muscle insulin reactivity and escalates the beta cell function without a remarkable repercussion on fat or body mass. The simultaneous diminution in the amount of fat in the body and increment in lean mass resulting from physical activity intervention ensue from an elevated resting metabolic rate, a more enhanced cardiovascular risk profile and increased insulin activity. If a person has preexisting musculoskeletal problems that would act as a hindrance to more action, he must seek services of a physical therapist. Exercise at the prediabetic stage slows down the progression to diabetes, normalizes the glucose levels, and prevents microvascular complications. In addition, training improves functional building and capacity and aids in weight loss as well as weight preservation. It is also important to remember that a prediabetic patient should start their workout program slowly and build it up gradually. Governments Role Physical therapy should be one of the main agendas pushed by the government institutions in charge of health. More awareness would help to improve the public health conditions. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has assisted in pushing for this matter nationally. 6APTA hold the belief that all citizens should be aware re the importance of physical therapy in preventing diabetes. Prior knowledge puts patients in a position to decide on the based ways of going through treatment. Conclusion As noted, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death, which is proof enough that the condition is more serious than earlier presumed. Prevention, as known over time, is much productive than cure.4 Embracing a healthy lifestyle proves more advantageous as it prevents not only diabetes but also other conditions. Physical therapy is known to be a key preventive measure for the occurrence of diabetes. Frequent exercise should help in not only losing weight but also maximizing the benefits of it. In addition, living healthy will supplement peace needed for the body’s immunity to be at its optimum as highlighted in the psychoneuroimmunology theory. Typically a physical therapist prescribes resistance exercises or aerobic exercises tailored to a patients needs. Essentially, the work of a physical therapist is to aid individuals in restoring flexibility, boosting strength and stabilizing their joints. Hence, the problems associated with prediabetes are easily curbed by consulting a physical therapist, a balanced diet, and medication. References 1. Consumer Reports. Prediabetes? Get yourself moving, but do not jump immediately to drugs as an answer. Washington Post. December 15, 2014. Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/prediabetes-get-yourself-moving-but-dont-jump-immediately-to-drugs-as-an-answer/2014/12/12/316a8782-50ba-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html. Accessed on January 30, 2015 2. American Diabetes Association. Statistics about diabetes. Available at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics. Accessed on January 30, 2015. 3. World Health Organization. Country and regional data on diabetes. Available at http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/world-figures/en./index3.html. Accessed on January 30, 2015 4. New Insights into the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes in Mediterranean countries. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10362460. Accessed on January 30, 2015 5. Brill M. Diabetes. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books; 2012. 6. Brown RM. Diabetes: Good Food Choices: More Than 100 Delicious, Nutritious Recipes Suitable for People with Diabetes – And Everyone Else! Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications; 2008. Read More