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Essay / Eating to Death: Type 2 Diabetes, a Curable Disease
Eating to Death: Type 2 Diabetes, a Curable Disease Doctors and scientists at the American Diabetes Association say that "at least 26 million Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes (Pp.1 2013). The majority of the population affected by type 2 diabetes is made up of African Americans and Hispanics. According to the ADA, “nearly $250 billion in medical expenses can be directly attributed to Americans with diabetes” (2013, p.1). Most Americans with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they can cure and get rid of this “disease.” Type 2 diabetes robs the body of the ability to produce adequate amounts of insulin (blood sugar) or causes cells to ignore insulin. Insulin is essential for the human body to be able to use glucose as an energy source. When food is consumed, the body converts all sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel or energy for the body's cells. Insulin extracts sugar from the blood and carries it into cells. This topic is important because Americans are losing lives and money to a treatable disease that can simply be cured by taking preventative measures against diabetes, changing their daily diet by eating healthier foods, and incorporating exercise in their daily lives. According to the ADA, “African Americans are extremely affected by diabetes as 3.7 million, or 14.7 percent of all African Americans aged 20 or older, have diabetes” (2013, p. 1). CQ researcher Kenneth Jost explains that “diabetes is widely misunderstood as a controllable disease; on the contrary, this disease is fatal and costly” (2001, p.1). Although it is a common disease, people should not neglect this disease and should be aware of ways to prevent themselves from middle of paper......betes Association®. Accessed March 30, 2014 from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/CDC - Diabetes Public Health Resource - Diabetes DDT. (March 13, 2014). Accessed March 30, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/Center for Science in the Public Interest (2009). In K. Weber (Ed.), Food, Inc: How industrial food is making us sicker, fatter and poorer – and what you can do about it. New York: PublicAffairs. Hirshberg, G. (2009). In K. Weber (ed.). Food, Inc: How industrial food is making us sicker, fatter and poorer – and what you can do about it. New York: PublicAffairs. Jost, K. (March 9, 2001). QC Researcher. Retrieved March 30, 2014 from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/Nestle, M. (2009). In K. Weber (Ed.) Food, Inc: How industrial food is making us sicker, fatter and poorer – and what you can do about it. New York: Public Affairs.