Griffin Speaks

PREVENTING TYPE TWO DIABETES

You can prevent type 2 diabetes. Are you at risk for developing type 2 diabetes? If you are a member of one of the following ethnic groups you are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes: African-American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latino and Native American. 

Ordinarily people develop pre diabetes prior to developing type 2 diabetes. A person is considered pre diabetic if his blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as full blown diabetes. If you find yourself diagnosed as being pre diabetic I strongly urge you to lose weight and increase your physical activity. 

Losing weight is really very simple. The hard part of doing anything is getting started. First, you need to know what causes weight gain. You gain weight when you consume more calories than you need. If you consume 3500 calories and don’t burn it off, you will gain 1 pound. If you want to lose 1 pound then you need to either burn off 3500 calories or not consume 3500 calories.  

A soft drink has 150 calories in it. If you drink two soft drinks a day, that would average 300 calories per day. In one year you would have consumed 109,500 calories. That would equal 31 pounds. So simply switching to two diet sodas you would drop thirty-one pounds in one year. If you would just pay attention to your intake of fat and calories you would be amazed at what you can accomplish.  

Medical Experts tell us that the only thing known to prolong life is exercise. I believe they are correct since I am aware that there are very few obese people in their seventies. Most die in their early fifties and sixties.  

 So do yourself a favor and take a really good look in the mirror. Are you happy with your weight? Do you want to decrease your chances of developing diabetes? If you would like to do something about your weight then make up your mind to do something about it. Take action now! Your life could depend on it!

In the words of my dad, Dr. Melvin J. Griffin Sr.: “Don’t get a College degree and have scared behind it!”

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com or write to him at P.O. Box 250194 Montgomery, Alabama 36125-0194.