{"id":1145,"date":"2011-02-25T22:07:33","date_gmt":"2011-02-25T22:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skinnygeneproject.dreamhosters.com\/?p=1145"},"modified":"2011-02-25T22:07:33","modified_gmt":"2011-02-25T22:07:33","slug":"the-disease-that-will-affect-half-the-nation-by-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skinnygeneproject.org\/the-disease-that-will-affect-half-the-nation-by-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"The Disease That Will Affect Half the Nation by 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Andrea Pennington. M.D<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your wellness and self-empowerment doctor<\/p>\n

The Huffington Post<\/p>\n

Type 2 diabetes currently affects about 27 million Americans and is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the nation. A recent report<\/a> published by UnitedHealth Group’s Center for Health Reform & Modernization estimates that over half of the U.S. population will have diabetes or prediabetes by the year 2020! This means that hundreds of millions of people will be at risk of having heart attacks, strokes, erectile dysfunction, dementia and early death due to a disease that is preventable and manageable!<\/p>\n

Type 2 diabetes is a condition of elevated blood sugar that is closely tied to obesity, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. Now, more than ever, it is vital that lifestyle interventions to lose weight and prevent pre-diabetes from developing into full-blown diabetes are put into action. Medication programs to ensure proper diabetes control are also important, but the majority of people can make moves — on their own — to keep this silent killer at bay.<\/p>\n

One of my patients, who weighed 525 pounds at the tender age of 29, reversed a 12-year history of type 2 diabetes and got off of insulin and oral hypoglycemics by changing his lifestyle and nutrition with the help of The Pennington Plan for Weight Success, which includes a 5-step motivational strategy for weight loss and health recovery. So don’t assume that type 2 diabetes is a ‘death sentence’. You will need to make a total lifestyle switch to stay healthy, but at least you will be here to tell the tale!<\/p>\n

Diagnosing Diabetes And Determining Your Risk<\/strong>
\nThe blood test most commonly used in the evaluation of diabetes is the fasting plasma glucose test. The test is performed after an overnight or eight-hour fast during the day. Your blood is taken and sent to the lab to measure your glucose levels. The test results indicate whether your blood glucose level is normal, whether you have diabetes, or whether you have impaired glucose tolerance, which we now refer to as ‘pre-diabetes.’ Pre-diabetes is now more commonly used to emphasize the fact that without some lifestyle and nutrition intervention, the majority of people will go on to develop diabetes.<\/p>\n