Max Wallis Padgett ENG December 2, 2013

Research Paper Across the globe diabetes is taking lives and hurting the global economy because we fail to educate the world on it, and recognize its lethal potential. Diabetes is deadly in both its type one and type two variations. It is a global pandemic, and in order to counteract its deadly affects we need to educate the world and the individuals around us. The worlds current mindset and methods for eradicating diabetes are ineffective, and if something is to change then we need to rethink the way we educate the world on this condition. Over the last several years diabetes rates have exploded. Studies show that is 1985 diabetes was a relatively insignificant issue, with only thirty million cases reported worldwide. However, in the next ten years the number surged to one hundred and thirty five million (WHO). This explosion in reported cases can be linked mainly to poor education on the topic. The simple fact is that many people were unaware that they could develop diabetes solely because of poor food choices and little exercise. This drastic increase caught the attention of some. These people and organizations responded by attempting to educate the public on diabetes. Today, roughly twenty years later the World Health Organization estimates that the

number of reported cases of diabetes has increased to one hundred and seventy one million. This jump of nearly 36 million may seem like a large number, but when population increase over the course of twenty years is taken into account it is somewhat insignificant (WHO). Regrettably, education on diabetes in recent years has decreased greatly. Scientists predict that twenty years from now the number of diabetics worldwide is likely to almost double to three hundred and forty-two million (WHO). If something is to be done about this pandemic then education on the topic needs to be resumed immediately. We have already seen that education can be affective, now we just need to get the public educated on the topic. Diabetes comes in two variations. Type one, or juvenile diabetes as it is sometimes called is the most serious. This form of diabetes is genetic, and it passed on from parents to their children. Scientists have found that in type one victims the body attacks the pancreas, which is the insulin-producing organ (Matthews). The exact reason why the body does this is unknown. After being attacked, the pancreas remains damaged and it will produce little or no insulin. Because type one patients cant produce their own insulin they must either inject it with a needle several times a day, or have it pumped into their body throughout the day with an insulin pump. According to the National Diabetes Education Program every day forty people are found to have type one diabetes. That means that over the course of a year the number of newly found type one diabetics is around fifteen thousand (Warren-Boulton). The other variation of diabetes is type two. It is usually less severe than type one but is much more prevalent;

in fact, it accounts for nearly ninety percent of all diabetes cases worldwide (Matthews). The cause of type two is different from type one. In type two patients the diabetes is usually caused by the excessive consumption of sugar (Diabetes Dictionary). The large amount of sugar in the blood stream is more than the bodies insulin supply can keep up with. To meet the increased demand of insulin the body produces more and more insulin. Eventually the body becomes resistant to the large amounts of insulin. The absence of effective insulin means that the cells cannot take in the sugar. The sugar then remains in the bloodstream, and to deal with this the pancreas will produce even more insulin even though it has almost no affect on the sugar. The pancreas will eventually shut down from the increased insulin demand (Warren-Boulton). How dangerous truly is diabetes? Is it really worth the time and effort? In short, the answer is yes. Every minute there are 6 deaths due to diabetes related conditions, and every year diabetes directly results in over three million deaths (Matthews). Diabetes opens up people to a whole new world of disabilities. Half of people with diabetes will end up with nerve damage of some sort. Also 80% of people with diabetes will end up with cardiovascular disease. Recently diabetes was found to be the largest cause of kidney failure, and that three out of four diabetics will have high blood pressure (WHO). Diabetes increases a persons chance of having a stroke 3 to 5 times as much as person who is not a diabetic. Just recently it was determined to be the leading cause of new cases of blindness (WHO) Damage on the body is not restricted to just internal problems. People with diabetes suffer external complications as well. Fifty to eighty percent of diabetics have mild to extensive damage to their internal nervous system; this is part of the reason that diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower

body amputations (WHO). Today diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death, and it will continue to take lives unless something is done about it (Warren-Boulton). So what other incentives are there for stopping this pandemic? Well, for one there is the financial reason. Diabetes is an immensely expensive disease, and it puts a great deal of stress on the economy. Studies show that families in the United States with a diabetic child may loose up to ten percent of their yearly income to health costs related to diabetes (NIH). It is believed that in the United States diabetes accounts for nearly two hundred billion dollars in both direct and indirect costs. These financial stresses are not only present in the United States. Some estimates say that worldwide diabetes related costs make up to fifteen percent of global health budgets (NIH). Some countries will be more of a challenge to educate than others. Educating many of the countries in less fortunate areas of Africa and Asia will be the biggest challenge. In recent years many areas that were predominately rural areas have been urbanized (WHO). This urbanization has exposed many people to fast foods with high sugar and fat content. This increased consumption of food with high sugar and fat content can cause shock in the body if it has not been conditioned to break down such foods (Matthews). The bodies of most people in these countries have this exact problem. They simply eat their way into diabetes without even knowing it. This problem can be avoided entirely through education. If these countries were properly informed about diabetes and its deadly potential great progress would be made. It would also be effective to show these countries how to eat a balanced meal, and how to find suitable substitutes for fast

food (NIH). Overall, the key to eradicating diabetes is education and understanding. Schools around the world should teach proper eating and exercising habits. And by doing this we can create a new generation of heath conscious people. This will hopefully stop the diabetes epidemic in its tracks. If diabetes is to be stopped, the world must unite as one force dedicated to eradication of the disease through knowledge. The world as a whole has already made a great deal of progress but it still has a long way to go.

Works Cited

"Facts and figures about diabetes." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/en/>. Matthews, David, Niki Meston, and Pam Dyson. Diabetes. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Warren-Boulton, Elizabeth . "National Institutes of Health, National Diabetes Education Program ." National Institutes of Health, National Diabetes Education Program 37 (2011): 48. WorldCat. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. "The Diabetes Dictionary." National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 4 (2003): n. pag. WorldCat. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. NIH, NDEP, and CDC. "Control Your Diabetes For Life: Tips To Help You Feel Better and Stay Healthy." NIH publication 3 (2003): 3. Print.