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What is Type II Diabetes?

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Type II diabetes is characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia. The high blood sugar levels seen in type II diabetes arise primarily because the cells of the body are not responding appropriately to the hormone insulin. Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to rising blood sugar levels. Insulin's job is to signal the cells to allow glucose to enter. Some defect at the receptor level leaves these receptors insensitive to the presence of insulin, a state known as insulin resistance. Since the sugar cannot enter the cells, it continues to circulate in the blood, causing hyperglycemia.Home.

But what causes the insulin resistance? The exact cause is unknown, but appears to be a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Type II diabetes is rare in developing countries and high in industrial countries where activity levels are low, and caloric intake and obesity rates are high. In individuals diagnosed with type II diabetes, a reduction in caloric intake, moderate weight loss (in people who are overweight) and aerobic exercise have all been shown to be helpful in improving blood sugar regulation.

Type II diabetes often occurs in people with excess abdominal fat, but recent studies have found that not all abdominal fat stores are associated with increased risk of type II diabetes. Research using imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) has shown that adipose tissue located intra-abdominally (around the viscera) is much riskier than subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat stored under the skin).1 This observation helps to explain why some people with abdominal fat have type II diabetes while others do not.

Normally, food that we eat is turned into glucose or sugar that our bodies use for energy. Insulin is a substance made by the body to help cells absorb the glucose and convert it to energy. If a person has diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin or it can't use its insulin as well as it should. This causes too much sugar to build up in the blood, which is known as Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. Research shows that many obese children and adolescents have impaired glucose tolerance, a condition that often appears before the development of type II diabetes.

More and more Americans are suffering from preventable diseases resulting from what has been labeled a "Lifestyle Disease" that's epidemic for both adults and children. An alarming fact is that children are exhibiting health problems normally associated with middle age. The accelerated onset of Type 2 diabetes is the result of modern-day lifestyle habits that include consuming too many high-fat calories and not getting enough exercise.

The Health Department wants Richmond parents to be aware of the urgent need to reverse this trend and to take action to protect the health and wellbeing of our children. Good nutrition and physical activity are important to the development of young minds and bodies. Give your child a chance at a healthy life.

Type II diabetes is a term given to the type of diabetes that can be controlled often with the use of lifestyle amendment, occasionally necessitating the use of some drugs but is not solely dependent on insulin control. Type I diabetes means that the body produces no insulin at all whereas in type II there is still some degree of insulin production but it cannot regulate the blood sugars sufficiently.

Often by encouraging fitness and physical activity and by modifying the diet blood sugars and therefore insulin production, the body will be able to manage itself without the need for other interventions. Normally this disease is seen in those over the age of 40 but is now being more commonly seen in teenagers and even young children possibly due to the increase in the obesity rate and as a result of a poor diet.

Initial results from tests carried out so far have shown that there may be a link between type II diabetes and vitamin D deficiency. Experts agree that only from further experiments are we able to establish this possible link any further.

Adult-onset diabetes, also known as Type II diabetes, makes up 98 percent of diabetes cases in America today. Unlike Type I diabetics, those with Type II do not have a deficiency in insulin; rather they are insensitive to it. The condition develops when insulin is no longer effective in getting blood sugar into cells to be used as energy. This means that the body produces insulin, but the cells don’t react to it. The result is that the insulin cannot do its job of metabolizing blood sugar.

Does Diabetes Cause Weight Gain? Yes, it can. Today there are over 16 million Americans with Type II diabetes, and most of them are engaged in a struggle to control their weight. Why? Type II diabetes sets up a vicious cycle in which sugar from the diet causes the release of insulin, but the cells ignore the insulin and continue to crave sugar. This causes hunger so we eat again, increasing blood sugar and insulin. This scenario plays itself out over and over again creating a roller coaster effect on blood sugar levels. The result is constant hunger throughout the day and ravenous cravings for more carbohydrates.

How Does This Cause Weight Gain? Not only does this vicious cycle make people eat more, but any unused sugar circulating in the blood is converted to fat and stored… as body fat. So we get fatter and fatter, while our cells literally starve for energy.

Adults are not the only ones to get Type II diabetes. According to http://www.typediabetessymptoms.com/type-ii-diabetes-in-children, Kids and teens also get Type II Diabetes and now it is becoming more and more common. Diabetes is when the body can not use sugar from foods we eat in the right way. In people without diabetes food is broken down into sugar and moved into the body’s cells to provide energy. With diabetes sugar can not enter the body’s cells, and too much sugar builds up in the bloodstream. Diabetes is also called high blood sugar.

If you think your child may have diabetes, or be at risk, make an appointment to see your child’s doctor right away. Ask the doctor to test your child for diabetes. It is better to get your child tested early. There is no cure, but your child’s diabetes can be controlled. Your child can live a healthy, active life.

If needed, the doctor will give your child a plan to control diabetes. Your child may need to take pills or shots. Your child may also need to check his / her blood sugar levels every day. Your family may need to cut back on some foods or change the way foods are cooked. Ask lots of questions and work with your child’s doctor to make a plan that’s right for you.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems: Right away, your cells may be starved for energy, and over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Results of the 10-year Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) proved that keeping your blood glucose level as close to normal as possible can reduce the risk of complications involving the eyes, kidneys and nervous system by up to 60 percent. How often you test is best decided by you and your healthcare professional. It may vary according to your age, the type of diabetes you have, any medication you are using, whether you are ill, and any physical or emotional changes in your life.

Because a variety of factors impact blood glucose levels, target ranges are different for different people. Your health care professionals can help you set realistic target levels for your own diabetes management.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

For more information on Type II Diabetes Symptoms and Typpe II Diabetes Causes, please visit www.TypeDiabetesSymptoms.com.

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