ATLANTA – As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by the year 2050, federal officials announced Friday, in a dramatic revision of earlier projections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 10 have diabetes now, but the number could grow to 1 in 5 or even 1 in 3 by mid-century if current trends continue.
"This is alarming," said Ann Albright, director of the CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation.
The agency's projections have been a work in progress. The last revision put the number at 39 million in 2050. The new estimate takes it to the range of 76 million to 100 million.
An estimated 24 million Americans have diabetes currently.
Anyone out there heeding this warning!
Okay then, why is this occurring in these numbers. I'm always concerned because the cost of healthcare goes up when Americans get sick. And since I pay for my healthcare, my healthcare has more than doubled since 2002.
Yet, I do not have diabetes. But I have noticed with the increase in my premiums every year my blood pressure is rising instead. Why is my blood pressure rising? A few reasons I can point out. First, I did have a personal trainer at one point but as my healthcare rose, I could no longer afford the trainer. I did have a gym membership at one point, but as the cost of my premiums for healthcare rose, I could not longer afford the monthly membership at the gym. My blood pressure at one point was perfect, now it's in what is referred to as "white coat" numbers. And yes my weight has gone up as well.
I'm blaming it on myself because I am not a disciplined as I once was and I'm older. No excuse. Whether I have a personal trainer or a gym membership or not is no excuse for my numbers to rise. This is what I am now telling myself today. After all each day is the first day of our lives.
Still, what is wrong with the over all picture of the state of health of Americans?
From this report, not good.
And so much so that for most of us I'm sure no one really knows where to begin to turn it around anymore. Yet the information out there is plentiful, and we all know as I do the only way to remedy this situation is to simply eat the right foods and "move our butts."
Yes, it's as simple as that and sometimes I have to shake my head in utter disbelief because of the solution.
Mindful living, mindful eating, a mindful existence of what we are doing at any given point in time in our daily life.
In other words, watch what we put into our mouths at any given moment, watch what activities we embark upon at any given moment, and if things aren't feeling right inside (fear is always a hindrance) then try to act upon it before it can grow into something that has reached a point where only medications will keep it in check.
If we know our numbers whether it's blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar and we see that they are rising, then we do need to get off our behinds and actually do something to counteract what is happening inside. Although a high HDL is good, and that is one number we want to see rise. Mine at last count was 71 only because I made a concerted effort to eat those foods (fish, nuts, seeds, veggies, fruits, etc) that would bring that number up. And by golly, it worked. 71 is a high number for HDL but it is telling me the cholesterol I do have in my body is protecting me and not clogging up arterial walls.
Again, all it takes is a simple mindfulness attitude that could probably eradicate 75% of the illnesses occurring in our nation.
When I go shopping I often watch what others buy, and often I am tempted to tell the person behind me if they really should be drinking those oversized bottles of soda? Maybe instead they could opt for something like ... plain old water...or flavored water.
Or maybe that Sunday pot roast could instead become a Sunday chicken breast (no skin, no fat) or a nice fish fillet, preferably salmon or what is becoming more popular baramundie. How about filling up our plates with veggies and whole grains? If we need to eat something sweet, dark chocolate (65% and above) is going to do us a lot more good than that bag of Fritos. Even a nice glass of wine occasionally during the week will add to our overall health (reservatrol for the heart) rather than that sugary fruit juice or sugar laden soda.
Mindful shopping is something every American needs to adopt when they shop! There's is so much to be found in the vegetable and fruit sections, and simply keep away from the middle aisles where all processed foods are located.
I'm opting to turn these numbers around for America...because well it's kind of embarrassing to say the least that we Americans are getting a reputation for not being smart enough to stay healthy when all it takes is a little mindfulness.
2 comments:
Hello Marie,
Mindful living is a wonderful subject to blog about. In this day of fast working, fast living and fast foods, such busy days makes for terrible food choices. Seems the faster, the easier.
But don't even get me started on the health care system in our country. That is really alarming! Scary!
I'm on my way to do some mindful shopping, now. I shop the perimeter of the store and cook my own meals from scratch, and you know what I've found? It's a lot cheaper (not to mention healthier) than buying pre-prepared processed foods and meals. Who has time, you say? Better to take the time now to cook and enjoy your food, than to have the time taken from you later by illness and death.
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