Type 2 Diabetes and the Diabesity Epidemic

 

Type 2 diabetes is sweeping North America and rising to epidemic proportions. Estimates range from 80–97 percent of all type 2 diabetes is induced by overconsumption (leading to overweight) and insufficient activity. Risk of diabetes is approximately double for those who are moderately overweight (with a body mass index above 25), and triple for those who are obese (body mass index above 30). So pervasive is this connection that the new term “diabesity” has been coined to describe the type of diabetes brought on by overweight. Most alarmingly is the rise in type 2 diabetes in children and teens. Until recently, the disorder was known as “adult-onset diabetes” because it occurred mostly in people over fifty years of age. Today, it is estimated that approximately one-third of all newly diagnosed diabetes in children and teens in North America is type 2. Untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to numerous debilitating health problems, including blindness, premature heart attack and stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, and poor wound healing.

 

While excess body fat plays a strong role in this disease, the way the fat is distributed is perhaps even more significant. Weight concentrated around the abdomen and in the upper part of the body (apple-shaped) increases risk far more than weight that settles around the legs and hips (pear-shaped). In addition, fat accumulated in and around vital organs (visceral fat) is far more damaging than fat that accumulates close to the skin’s surface.

The lowest rates of type 2 diabetes occur in populations consuming whole foods and plant-based diets. Some experts believe that is mostly due to their lower body weights, although very high-fiber diets may, in themselves, be protective. When populations such as these adopt high-fat, low-fiber diets, diabetes risk quickly escalates. If they revert back, incidence of diabetes is once again reduced.

 

Studies show that vegetarians are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. In the Seventh-day Adventist Health Study, rates of type 2 diabetes were 53 percent lower for male vegetarians, and 55 percent lower in female vegetarians than in nonvegetarians. People aged fifty to sixty-nine showed the greatest difference in diabetes rates, with 76 percent less diabetes in vegetarians.

 

Many dietary factors can help to explain the vegetarian advantage. First, vegetarians are leaner than nonvegetarians. They have significantly higher fiber intakes and lower intakes of saturated fat, both of which may improve insulin sensitivity. There is also some evidence to suggest that the absence of meat, especially processed meat, may provide additional benefit.

 

We can maximize our protection against type 2 diabetes, or improve its outcome if we already have this condition, by engaging in daily physical activity, and eating just enough
calories to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. The following nutrition guidelines will assist you in this task:

 

Nutrition Guidelines for People with Type 2 Diabetes

 

1. Make whole, unprocessed plant foods the foundation of your diet – legumes, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds.
2. Include at least one serving of legumes (beans, lentils and peas) each day. These foods are rich sources of dietary fiber and help to control blood sugar levels. They are also great sources of protein, iron and zinc.
3. Aim for at least 4 servings of vegetables each day. Your best choices are green leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli and Chinese greens, and colorful red, yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, squash, red peppers and beets.
4. Aim for 3 or more servings of whole grains each day. Intact whole grains such as barely, kamut, spelt, rye or wheat berries, oat groats, quinoa and brown rice are best. If you use foods made of processed grains, select those made with the whole grain such as bread made with whole-wheat flour. Minimize your use of refined carbohydrates – both starches and sugars. White flour and white rice products should be limited.
5. Select 2 or more servings of fresh fruits each day. Whole fruits are best. Citrus fruits, berries, melons and kiwi are excellent choices.
6. Include moderate amounts (1-2 oz) of nuts and seeds in your daily diet. While nuts and seeds are rich in fat, the type of fat is healthful, if not consumed in excess. Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of vitamin E and many trace minerals.
7. Limit intake of foods rich in saturated fats (Primary sources: meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and tropical oils). Total saturated fat intake should not exceed 7 percent of total calories (average intakes are closer to 12 percent of calories).
8. Minimize intake of trans fatty acids, keeping them to less than 1 percent of calories (Primary sources: processed foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, deep fried fast foods).
9. Limit your cholesterol intake to not more than 200 mg per day (Primary sources: animal foods—meat, dairy products, and eggs).
10. Keep sodium intake under 2,400 mg (6 grams or 1 teaspoon salt) per day (Primary sources: processed foods, condiments, table salt).
11. Include reliable sources of essential fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids GLA, EPA, and DHA in your daily diet. For vegetarians the best source of DHA is cultured microalgae, which is available in supplement form.

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