Hello, I'm Monica Reinagal, and you're listening to the Nutrition Deva

podcast, Welcome.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.

This is a time when health and nutrition educators try to increase the public's awareness

and understanding of a disease that affects 30 million Americans and threatens 70 million more.

So today I'm going to try to clear up six popular misconceptions about type 2 diabetes,

which is by far the most common form of diabetes. It's also the most preventable.

In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells start to ignore that insulin.

And as a result, your blood sugar stays too high.

One in ten Americans has type two diabetes. And a quarter of these don't even realize that they have

the disease. And for every person with type 2 diabetes there are two more who are considered

pre-diabetic meaning that their blood sugar levels are in the high normal range.

You know, in old medical texts, you'll sometimes see type 2 diabetes referred to as adult onset diabetes because this condition

usually developed in midlife. Unfortunately as rates of childhood obesity have gone up

type 2 diabetes is now routinely diagnosed in kids.

And the earlier someone develops diabetes, the more likely it is that they will eventually experience serious complications.

Having type 2 diabetes... will eventually experience serious complications.

Having type 2 diabetes increases your risk

for heart disease, blindness, nerve damage,

and kidney damage, especially if your disease is poorly managed.

However, people can live long and healthy lives with diabetes

if they take proper care of themselves.

...