You felt just fine until your doctor told you at your annual physical
that you have “pre-diabetes.” He or she probably explained that your diagnosis was because your blood glucose levels are higher than
normal – but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. And also that it puts you
at an increased risk for developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke over the
next 10 years.
Now what? Should I worry?
The short answer is yes - you should be concerned. But don't panic!. A diagnosis of pre-diabetes is a warning you should heed - and if you heed it now, it may be completely reversible!
I know you've heard that diabetes is rampant in the U.S. and other
developed countries; in fact, according to the American Diabetes Association,
as of 2011, 25.8 million children and adults in the U.S. (8.3% of the
population) have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Another 79 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, and the
number is growing daily. You’ve heard how
diabetes can increase the incidents of heart disease and hypertension, and untreated
diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, and
death. Diabetes cost Americans $245
million in 2012, including $176 million for direct medical costs, and $69
million in reduced productivity.
When your doctor gave you your diagnosis, he or she probably
told you that you need to make some changes in your diet and lifestyle before it
develops into full-blown diabetes. That would be bad. And, if you’re lucky, he or she gave you some specific suggestions about how
to do that, or referred you to a nutritionist, Registered Dietitian, or perhaps
even a health coach.
But unfortunately, for
many people, no referral was made; you were just told to “lose weight, eat a
low-fat, low-calorie diet and exercise more.” You may be left wondering, "How do I do THAT?" or "What's o.k. to eat?" So with now actual instructions, you go home and
start trying to “eat better.” You buy
products that say “low-fat” on the labels, and vow to walk for 30 minutes 5x a
week. You do great for the first couple of weeks or month, but then you’re back to your old habits. You don’t LIKE low-fat, low-calorie
food. It’s hard to find time to walk 5x
a week for 30 minutes. Your co-workers
bring in your favorite Krispy Kreme donuts or bagels, or your vow to “eat
better” is thwarted by the office’s vending machine. You don’t have diabetes yet – it’s just
“pre-diabetes” – so it can’t be that bad, right? And you can always get back on track
tomorrow. . .
But face it, my friend RIGHT NOW now is the time to “get real” and accept the
facts. Pre-diabetes isn't diabetes,and if you catch it early, it's very likely that you can completely reverse it and
avoid ever getting “real diabetes.” If you don't do anything about it, there's a good chance you're going to develop full-blown diabetes, and that would definitely not be fun!
Early intervention and changing those
unhealthy habits, eating patterns and lifestyle factors is critical NOW, and a good first step is to educate yourself, so here's some more information you might find helpful your diagnosis.
- American Diabetes Association (ADA): http://www.diabetes.org/
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC): http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/prediabetes_ES/
- WebMD Diabetes Health Center: http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/prediabetes-treatment-overview
In addition, this is something a health coach may be able to help you with - they can give you the personal
attention and support to help you develop a diet and exercise plan that helps
you to lose weight and feel great – and that works for you and your
lifestyle. Maybe you can do it on your own, but if you need a little extra help, it might be worth thinking about!
Until next time,
Karen
