Raising Awareness of Diabetes

Article published in Engineers Australia Magazine July 2007

According to Dr Gary Deed, the president of Diabetes Australia, an estimated 1,040,000 Australians already have diabetes and around half of them are unaware of their condition. The statistics are alarming! 55,000 people are diagnosed with type II (insulin resistant) diabetes each year with the figure expected to rise to 1.7 million Australians with the disease by 2010.

There are two types of diabetes; type 1 diabetes where the pancreas cannot produce insulin and type 2 diabetes where the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to satisfy the body’s requirements (a condition known as insulin resistance).

Type 1 diabetes is usually contracted as a youngster and is caused by damage to the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. There is presently no cure and the patient needs to constantly inject insulin in order to properly metabolise carbohydrates.

Type 2 diabetes used to occur in older people, but with the increase in childhood obesity and high fat, high sugar diet, even children and teenagers are now at risk.  When you eat carbohydrate foods (sugar, bread, pasta, rice), the body converts them to sugar.  Your cells need insulin (produced by the pancreas) in order to metabolise the sugar. If you eat a large amount of carbohydrates, the body needs more insulin but the cells adapt to the high levels of insulin and need more and more insulin in order to metabolise the sugar.  Eventually saturation point is reached and the pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin and you contract type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately, the typical engineer tends to be particularly at risk of diabetes especially if they have gained a few kilos over the years, like regular drinks and are too busy to exercise.

Take a look in the mirror and take a measuring tape with you.  According to Deed, if you are male and have a waist circumference greater than 90cms or female with a waist circumference greater than 88cms and you are over 45 you could be at risk. If you are over 55 and have high blood pressure and high cholesterol you may also be at risk. If you also have close family members (parents, siblings) with diabetes, your risk is further increased.

The tragedy with diabetes is that many of the serious complications of the disease can be prevented with early intervention. Unfortunately, if you sit back and do nothing, Deed warns, the consequences can be serious.

“The grave risk of having undiagnosed type 2 diabetes is the fact that people only learn of their disease when a complication occurs.  This can be as serious as a heart attack, irreversible loss of vision, kidney failure or loss of circulation and feeling to the lower limbs.  These complications are preventable through early diagnosis and intervention.”

Thankfully the test for diabetes is very simple, reliable and can be ordered by your doctor. The oral glucose tolerance test involves fasting for the time directed by your doctor, then going to a pathology lab where you will be given a glucose drink and blood test. If your blood sugar levels are too high, you may be at risk of diabetes and your doctor will advise you what to do.

However, you don’t need to wait to contract diabetes or pre-diabetes (a condition where your blood glucose levels are elevated but not high enough to be classified as diabetes) before taking some preventative action.  Deed recommends everyone to do at least 30 minutes of gentle exercise per day and manage their diet.  “This can be a simple as choosing low GI foods, cutting down on saturated fats and reducing alcohol intake.”

Low GI foods have a low glycaemic index which means that the body converts them to sugar (and energy) much slower than high glycaemic index foods. It’s a bit like comparing coal (a “low GI” fuel) to hydrogen (a “high GI” fuel). Not only will the low GI foods keep you going for longer and leave you satisfied, they also require less insulin to absorb thus reversing the process of insulin resistance.

Foods high in saturated fats such as meats, cheese and fast food are also loaded with kilojoules and unless you exercise substantially your body will store those kilojoules as fat (particularly around the middle for men and the hips and thighs for women). Since excessive weight is a known risk factor for diabetes, cutting down on saturated fats will help you to manage your weight and reduce your risk.

Similarly alcohol is very high in kilojoules without any nutritional benefit. It is easy to ingest more kilojoules than you need by having a few drinks, particularly if high fat nibbles such as chips and roasted nuts are eaten as well.

Of course if you are significantly overweight, you should see a health professional to obtain appropriate dietary advise.  Deed encourages engineers to have a thorough nutritional assessment by a health professional (such as your doctor, a dietician or naturopath) as a great way of maintaining an optimal weight and reducing the risk of diabetes.

More information about diabetes and strategies for preventing this condition can be found at the Diabetes Australia website http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/