Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

When I’m out and about talking with people, I am being told that most have high cholesterol and/or prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.  I have also noticed that a lot of people are suffering from obesity.

My mission is to reach as many as possible to show a better way to live by providing guidance for a healthier lifestyle as shown on my website www.SYOLife.com.  I spoke with Dr. Ezemenari Obasi from the University of Houston on KPFT 90.1 about obesity and diabetes today (5/18/2018) at noon.  You can listen to it at Dr. Obasi interview.

According to the 2017 America's Health Rankings, an annual state-by-state assessment:

  • 33.6% of adult Texans are obese (percentage of adults with a body mass index of 30.0 or higher based on reported height and weight)
  • 11.2% of adult Texans have diabetes (percentage of adults who reported being told by a health professional that they have diabetes (excludes prediabetes and gestational diabetes))
  • 25.2% of adult Texans reported doing no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days

To find out how your state ranks, go to https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/app/uploads/ahrannual17_complete-121817.pdf.

As stated on my website, I discovered that the way I could improve my cholesterol, get rid of prediabetes and lose weight was to do the following:

  • Eat healthy
  • Drink water
  • Exercise
  • Sleep

I explain what to do and how to do it with my 24-Hour Challenge and SYOLifestyle.  I have highlighted the items below that correspond to the aforementioned bulleted items.  I am proof that you can get healthy by simply changing your lifestyle.  I understand there can be extenuating circumstances, but it definitely won’t hurt to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

The following came from https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/app/uploads/ahrannual17_complete-121817.pdf.

Obesity is generally caused by the regular consumption of more calories than the body is able to burn. Additional contributing factors include genetics, prenatal and early life influences, unhealthy diet, insufficient sleep, too much television, lack of physical activity, and the social and physical environment. Obesity is a leading factor in preventable conditions that contribute to illness and death, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer and hypertension. Children with obesity are more likely to have obesity as an adult. The total estimated cost of obesity in 2010 was $315.8 billion.

Data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016 For details: http://www.AmericasHealthRankings.org/AR17/Obesity

Diabetes, the nation’s seventh-leading cause of death, is a chronic condition that contributes to other leading causes of death, including heart disease and stroke. Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations and blindness in adults. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases. Onset of type 2 diabetes can be prevented through improving diet, increasing physical activity and losing weight. Medical expenses for individuals with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than those without diabetes. Costs of diagnosed, undiagnosed and prediabetes exceeded $322 billion in 2012.

Data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016 For details: http://www.AmericasHealthRankings.org/AR17/Diabetes

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and premature death. It is also associated with many social and environmental factors including education level, socioeconomic status, violent crime and poverty. Only 23.4 percent of adults met physical activity recommendations between 2008-2014. Reducing physical inactivity would significantly decrease chronic disease prevalence and increase life expectancy. Physical inactivity costs $117 billion annually and accounts for more than 11 percent of total U.S. health care expenditures.

Data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016 For details: http://www.AmericasHealthRankings.org/AR17/Sedentary

Here’s to your health!

Jana Huff