Diabetes is a life long illness that is both complicated and multifaceted. It is a condition characterized by the body’s inability to deal with insulin correctly, whether it be by resistance or by deficiency. There are several different types of diabetes, each with its own unique treatments and triggers. For example, Type I diabetes (once called “juvenile onset diabetes”) is the type of diabetes where the pancreas produces no insulin at all. This type of diabetes must be treated and controlled with medical diabetes treatments, usually injectable insulin, to keep the diabetic healthy and living a long, full and happy life.
Type II diabetes is different. In Type II diabetes, insulin is present in the blood stream, but the body is resistant to it. The body is unable to process it or respond to it normally, as the body of a non-diabetic can. This type of diabetes is often referred to as “adult onset diabetes,” but it can develop at any time in someone’s life, and is becoming more and more prevalent in children. While Type I diabetes is not preventable, Type II diabetes often is. Risk factors for it include obesity and being overweight, a poor diet that is high in fat and carbohydrates, a sedentary lifestyle lacking in exercise, and a family history of diabetes. Type II diabetes can often be controlled simply by making some changes in diet and lifestyle. Cutting down on carbohydrates and eating a more balanced, healthy diet will both help you maintain a healthy weight and improve your blood sugar levels. Exercise helps with weight and improves how the body handles insulin.
The third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. This occurs in non-diabetic pregnant women and subsides after the baby is born. Though it does not give the baby diabetes, it does put the woman at increased risk for developing Type II diabetes later in life.