It’s Time to Talk: Need to know information about the Diabetes Epidemic plaguing African Americans Today
Written By Roxi Taylor
With obesity levels being at an all-time high, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and it seems it will only get worse.
Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from 5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In just one year!
According to the CDC, one hundred million Americans have been diagnosed and another 5 million Americans have diabetes and don’t know it.
And yet another 84.1 million are on their way to type 2 diabetes because of impaired glucose levels (1). Today, more Americans die from diabetes annually than from AIDS and breast cancer combined.
What’s more disturbing is African Americans are two times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. In addition, we (African Americans) are more likely to have high blood pressure, renal disease, kidney disease, and unfortunately, death due to diabetic complications.
In general, diabetes tends to run higher in communities of color. Sad truth is, socioeconomic disparities, lack of suitable medical care, lifestyle, cultural factors, and genetics are the main contributors to the development of type 2 diabetes. Because of these influences, diabetes is often not properly managed, which ultimately leads to complications and increased mortality.
Another large risk factor is obesity; which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Compared with other racial groups in the U.S., African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese (about 82% of black women compared to 63% of non-Hispanic white women). In fact, about four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.
With more than 3 million diabetic brothers and sisters, it’s about time we change the narrative.
The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable and can be controlled. Adopting a whole foods plant-based diet may be a key tool in managing and reducing your risk of developing diabetes. This means focusing on foods that do not spike glucose levels, mainly low- glycemic foods like fiber. Foods that will spike your glucose include processed foods, fast foods, fried food, dried fruit, flavored coffee drinks, white bread and pasta and more.
A study in more than 200,000 people found that people who adhered to healthy plant-based eating habits had a 34% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who consumed unhealthy, non-plant-based diets (2).
Another study shows that plant-based diets (vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian) were connected with nearly a 50% drop in the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to non- vegetarian diets (3).
Statistically, people are now living longer, and it has been on the rise for years. But this will not continue if type 2 diabetes is not put under control.
We are a gluttonous society and ultimately it is affecting how we live and our overall vitality.
And unfortunately, the diabetes epidemic is not just a US problem. It is spreading worldwide with epidemic reports in Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.
It is estimated that by 2025, the number of diabetics worldwide will rise to 380 million. And diabetes is now affecting more of the young and middle-aged population in developing countries between the ages of 40 and 59.
Changes in lifestyle and consumption provide a unique benefit to those managing or at risk of type 2 diabetes. A whole-foods, plant-based diet is a way of eating that celebrates plant foods and cuts out unhealthy items like added sugars, processed foods, and refined grains. Plant-based diets have been connected to a number of health benefits, including reducing your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, and diabetes.
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References:
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html (2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27299701 (3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671114/
