Essay Introduction
Diabetes is one of many leading causes of death. Even though type 2 can be preventable, it tends to keep rising throughout these years. Throughout this essay, I will explain diabetes and the causes of this disease, as well as how to avoid diabetes and what you can do to be healthier. This disease has caused an unfortunate long-standing metabolic disorder that results in high blood sugar and a shortage of insulin. Since the body is unable to handle the insulin the way it is supposed to, it causes you to feel weak.
Some of the common symptoms of type 2 diabetes are consistently having the need to urinate, you tend to become thirsty, and sometimes you tend to lose weight. Other symptoms may be an immense desire to eat and feeling tired. The long-term system can be strokes, high blood sugar, heart disease, kidney failure, and, last but not least, blindness. When there is reduced blood flow in your body, amputations may be required.
Research Paper on Type 2 Diabetes
In the article The Lancet, it says, “Between 1980 and 2004, the global rise in obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and an aging population have quadrupled the incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes”. (Chatterjee, 2017) In 2015 diabetes has been one of the high demands in need of disability due to the high numbers increasing of type 2 diabetes.
Argumentative Essay Examples on Type 2 Diabetes
Many people are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which is overwhelmingly increasing each year and is causing extensive socioeconomic difficulty to each person who is diagnosed with it. Not only is this disorder deadly, but its costs are estimated at around $825 billion, and it is crushing our global health economics. Knowing how much money is being used for just type 2 diabetes and also being aware that this disorder is the second leading cause of preventable deaths is devasting to understand. It’s difficult for me to understand how someone who becomes diagnosed with this disorder refuses to change his/her lifestyle around. I refuse to understand that people are perfectly okay with checking their sugar on an hourly basis and injecting themselves with insulin or taking medication. Changing your eating habits and drinking water, and exercising can prevent you from being obese and getting diabetes; ultimately, it’s your body and your decision in what you choose to eat.
Thesis Statement for Type 2 Diabetes
Since type 2 diabetes can be preventable and cost-effective for people who are at high risk, losing weight is an alternative, such as diet and exercise. About “16% of people aged over 60 years have impaired fasting glucose”. (Pierce, 2013) Diagnosing individuals who have not yet been identified with diabetes is one step toward prevention. One way to identify someone at risk of having this disease is to be screened for VSP. The Vascular Screening Program is a screening done every five years for people ages 40 to 74 years old. Each individual will do a standard evaluation and will be checked with a blood test for their cholesterol levels and sometimes for glucose levels. Depending on the outcome, proper action will be acquired. Obesity can affect the young, the middle-aged, and the elderly, which can result in diabetes. White folks over the age of 40 are recommended to get tested every five years for diabetes.
Early Detection and Intervention for Type 2 Diabetes
Individuals who are from ethnic minority groups are required to get tested from age 25. Ages between 25 and 40 are considered at high risk of getting diabetes. Obesity plays a big role in the elderly, which results in Type 2 diabetes becoming generally common. In this article, ‘Obesity should not be viewed as a cosmetic problem that affects a few individuals, but a major health hazard that is both preventable and amenable to treatment’ (Obesity Pathogenesis, 2013). The elderly are diagnosed with diabetes at a much later age than children. Most elderly folks are used to regular exercise and eating healthily. However, some of the elderly who are diagnosed with diabetes are African Americans and Hispanics. Due to their upbringing, they have been accustomed to either eating healthy or non-healthy meals. With the proper guidance and learning the importance of the deadly disorder, the elderly are motivated to cure themselves. In the year 2015, it was projected that around 415 million people were going to have diabetes. About 90% of those individuals had type 2 diabetes, and it was estimated that in 2040 around 642 million people were going to continuously be diagnosed or have diabetes.
Challenges Faced by Minorities and Low-Income Families
Black and Latinos have a higher risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. Although many of us are aware changing our eating habits and implementing exercise in our life can decrease or eliminate diabetes for good. Nonetheless, Black and Latinos have a disadvantage due to being poor, limited in the amount of food they have, or simply not implementing fruits and vegetables in their diet. Living in minority communities results in having more access to unhealthy nourishments and less access to nutritious foods, which tends to connect to diabetes. Families who have been diagnosed with diabetes in low-income communities benefit from programs that offer healthy meals.
The geographical region says, “80% of patients living in low-to-middle-income countries, but the overall trend is an increase in diabetes prevalence in every country since 1980 and intensive lifestyle modification, pharmacotherapy, or both can reverse or delay development of type 2 diabetes”. (Chatterjee, 2017) Notorious meals for low-income or minority individuals explain how the cost of food causes frustration which leads to unhealthy meals. Not only is the cost of food frustrating, but transportation, lack of knowledge of healthy meals, and one main barrier is communication since many low-income families are immigrants and can’t speak the language. These residents are limited to stores that offer healthy foods, and many of those residents have diabetes. Around 40% of low-income families say that there incapable of paying for healthy meals, and 39% are unable to cook or shop for the proper meals that will help them have a healthier lifestyle.
Based on those studies, it shows that this does not apply to urban areas. That being said, if low-income families such as blacks and Latinos have a higher risk of being obsessed and having diabetes, then there should be more programs offered to them. These communities need to implement fewer fast food places and offer more farmer markers. It seems as if cheeseburgers are a lot cheaper than buying a salad. Why is that? How is this even allowed? Having fewer individuals diagnosed with diabetes will ultimately mean less money being used for the treatment of diabetes, which will help our social and economic system. “Compared with people who do not have diabetes, patients with type 2 diabetes have a 15% increased risk of all-cause mortality, which is twice as high in young people, and in those who are younger than 55 years of age and have a concentration of glycated hemoglobin”. (Chatterjee, 2017)
Titles: Exploring the “Immigrant Health Paradox”
The United States has noticed an interest in the socioeconomic condition of immigrants and their health status and health care needs, as well as their health care system. Immigrants tend to have healthier lifestyles or good health, which is referred to “immigrant health paradox.” Immigrants have superior health and higher mortality than native-born. Most immigrants who enter our country come in good health. Immigrants are used to discrimination and handling such painful experiences and are able to juggle such problems and not allow that to affect their day, health, and life. For example, “In fact, much of the evidence supports immigrant selection for good health and lower mortality rates than those of the native-born population, which often has been termed an immigrant health paradox” (Markides,2018). Immigrants tend to exercise and walk on a daily basis due to being unable to afford a vehicle, and two walking can become more convenient and freer. They are less likely to become addicted to drugs because it’s financially a hurdle for them. Not only are they healthier, but they tend to live longer than Native Americans and are also less likely to get a disease.
Impacts of Type 2 Diabetes on Children and Adolescents
Chronic complications of type 2 diabetes should not be taken lightly. You are likely to develop cardiovascular disease as well as loss of eyesight, also limb amputations. These unfortunate complications are caused by not taking care of yourself and not eating healthy, even though type 2 diabetes has been increasing and has been causing a problem in children and adolescents. “As the U.S. population becomes increasingly overweight, however, the percentage of children with immune-mediated type 1 diabetes who are obese is increasing. As many as 24% may be overweight at the time of diagnosis. Children with immune-mediated diabetes usually have a short duration of symptoms and frequently have ketosis; 30–40% have ketoacidosis at presentation” (Association, 2018).
Immigrant children who migrate to the U.S. at a young age are more likely to live a shorter life span than immigrant adolescents because they have a much healthier lifestyle than U.S.-raised immigrants. “For example, researchers have found that the share of adolescents who are overweight or obese, a key indicator of physical health, is lowest for foreign-born youth, but these shares grow larger for each generation and increase rapidly as youth transition into adulthood” (Ornelas, 2018). Immigrant children have a health advantage over Native American or U.S. citizens. In America, we are surrounded by non-healthy meals, and most of our foods are filled with hormones due to the high demand for food. Unlike immigrants, everything is homegrown and natural, and organic, which is a reason why they are much healthier. Even though beans and tortillas are not that healthy but compared to mc Donald’s, it has more fiber and whole grains and is much more beneficial than fast foods. For Instance, “in less developed countries, the prevalence of excessive weight (overweight and obesity) tends to increase with socioeconomic status—higher incomes are associated with the adoption of high-calorie diets and an increase in sedentary activities such as watching television. Thus, low-income children who migrate from these countries are more likely to be at risk of malnutrition and stunting than of being overweight” (Ornelas, 2018).
Conclusion
In sum, type 2 diabetes can be prevented and cured. Gastric bypass surgery has been used to normalize your blood glucose. The Counterpoint study shows “that in 10 of 11 people with diabetes, an 8-week 600 kcal per day diet resulted in normalization of glucose levels. After 12 weeks of a normal diet, glucose tolerance was normal in four, impaired glucose tolerance in three, and diabetic but improved control in three.15 Both bariatric surgery and very low-calorie diets produce rapid, substantial weight loss with a dramatic reduction of fat (triacylglycerol) stores in the pancreas and liver. The Counterpoint Study not only demonstrated very low-calorie diets can produce weight losses similar to those of bariatric surgery” (Pierce, 2013). Proper care of what you eat and implementing exercise on a daily will reduce your chance of getting diabetes or reducing that horrible disease. Even though it’s difficult to eat healthy due to the high demands of food and how a majority of foods have hormones, it is affecting our bodies. Ultimately the government should change our food chain system to reduce the number of people having diabetes or even becoming obese. Until then, as people, we have to continue to fight this unfortunate battle and make sure we live healthier life not only to fight diseases such as diabetes but also for ourselves.
