DIABETES AND AGE IN AMERICA AND CHINA
Many diseases contracted by people in the world result from poor nutrition habits that people employ. Suppose people employ proper eating habits, eat a balanced and healthy diet, and lead healthy lifestyles. In that case, they can manage the different chronic diseases that cause the deaths of many people in the world annually. In one way or another, many diseases result from nutrition, and people should therefore be concerned with the food they consume and the lifestyle they lead. Poor nutrition leads to these chronic diseases, which are among the leading causes of death. The primary nutrition-associated chronic infections are stroke, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, CVD, osteoporosis, and obesity, among others. Nutrition-related diseases are also manageable, and people can avoid them by ensuring they have proper feeding habits that will not risk their health. This paper will investigate diabetes as one of the diet-related severe diseases in the United States of America and China, investigating different measures that the two governments are employing to counterattack the disorder that has become rampant in those societies.
Diabetes is a condition that develops in a person’s body if the body fails to deal appropriately with the blood sugar in one’s body. The food that human beings take in their bodies gets digested and then released into the bloodstream through the small intestine. The sugar in the bloodstream then has to get into the cells, which the cells can use as energy for metabolic reasons in the body. Insulin released by the pancreas helps absorb the blood sugars in the cells, and the cells finally use these sugars to produce energy. Therefore, when a person is said to be diabetic, there is more sugar in the bloodstream than is expected. The problem may arise from the pancreas since it is responsible for insulin production and sugar usage in different body cells. There are different types of diabetes, but they are all serious since they can have adverse effects on the body system since they can affect major body organs like the kidney, the heart, and the brain. Diabetes is a condition that arises when the pancreas fails to produce inactive or insufficient insulin, which leads to poor absorption of the sugars in the body cells for energy.
Gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and Type 1 diabetes are the major categories of diabetes that occur under different conditions. Type 1 diabetes occurs when a reaction occurs to the pancreas, causing it to fail to produce insulin; thus, the body is entirely unable to control the blood sugar in the body. Type 1 is very common in teens, children, and young adults, and it attacks people mostly when they are young. When one gets a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, they need to take insulin in the form of medicine daily to ensure they survive, which, if they fail, may be pathetic and can lead to death. There is no method known to prevent this type of diabetes. Type 2 results when the pancreas fails to produce insulin efficiently or produces it in lower amounts, and hence the insulin cannot regulate the blood levels. Type 2 diabetes occurs when people develop it over the years, and it may come as a result of wear and tear of the pancreas, hence causing inefficiency. People can avoid this type by delaying it and postponing it by practicing healthy lifestyles such as exercising, ensuring they eat healthily, and losing weight if they are overweight. The gestational type is that which develops in pregnant women. This type is critical since it can cause the mother to develop type 2 diabetes and make the baby diabetic. Among these three common types, type 2 diabetes is prevalent, and in the US, more than 95% of people with diabetes suffer from this type.
Increased frequency of urination, blurry vision, slow healing of wounds, and cuts are signs of a person infected with diabetes. These results result from the body cells lacking the required sugars to supply the energy, and hence some processes in the body fail to work. The metabolic process fails as expected if all the biological functions don’t work. There is also an aspect of hunger and feeling extremely thirsty. This is due to osmosis and the concentration of sugar, which draws water from the nearby cells, leading to thirst and hunger because the cells lack the metabolic water needed for cell processes. The draining of water from the cells due to the increased osmotic pressure also leads to dry skin symptoms. Due to reduced energy in the body cells, there may be weight loss with no explanation. Men with diabetes have decreased sex ambition, and their muscles lack strength (Watson, 2018). Among the causes of diabetes, genetics is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes. Increased age, probably people above 45 years, and race are also serious factors for people in America, where native Americans are more secure than other races. Since type 2 is the most dominant and mainly affects the elderly, they are supposed to exercise daily, take more vegetables and fruits, lose weight if they are overweight, and eat small portions of food. There is also a need to get regular sugar checkups after 45 to ensure they are safe and avoid any complications that may develop.
Over my studies, diabetes has been an area of concern, and I always want to acquire as much knowledge as possible in this field. I have met many older diabetic people in our family and the neighborhood who have suffered from this disease. It interests me because many people, for example, in America, have complications. I am pleased to eradicate this disorder among the elders in my family and my seniors. It also concerns me since, in our family, several members have diabetes, which may raise an alarm that I might get the disease as I age. As a health professional, I need to know more about this disease so that it will not attack me in my old age and that I can get a solution and probably help my seniors, especially those who have this problem around me. Many people have suffered from diabetes type 2, and they have used massive amounts of money for medication, which has led to a loss of funds that they could use for other purposes. DIABETES AND AGE IN AMERICA AND CHINAdaily medication of taking insulin is also stressful. His disease concerns me about getting this information, especially preventing it other than opting to treat this ailment. Diabetes also affects me since it is among the leading causes of death in the world. According to the WHO, 1.5 million people in the world succumbed to diabetes in 2019 (Elflein, 2021). In America, people diagnosed with the condition are about 25. 2 million, and China has the most diabetic people globally. Diabetes, as a chronic nutritional disease, concerns me since people can avoid it by developing proper eating habits and living healthy lifestyles that include daily exercise.
There are different thoughts about diabetes mellitus, a global issue and one of the leading causes of death; some people are positive while others are negative about it. There are also several stereotypes concerned with this infection in the US and several other parts of the world. The majority of people have knowledge of this condition, and they know how they can manage their blood sugars, but most of them have a poor attitude towards it, and hence they are at risk of contracting the disease (Herath et al., 2017). Many of them do not apply preventive measures, and they risk themselves even though they have an idea. The idea of people having knowledge but failing to take preventive measures is an indicator that some people are reluctant about the disease and do not care about the condition that they are in. Individuals need to employ the measures their doctors advise them to take to prevent and handle this condition.
There is also a problem in many societies where stereotypes about diabetes mellitus exist, especially in America. These stereotypes have brought stigma, shame, and blame to those diagnosed with this condition. Most members of society accuse diabetic people that it was their cause that they have the condition. Some people term them lazy people who cannot exercise or overeaters, and that is why they have many sugars in their bodies; otherwise, these people are obese and fat. Some also think that they eat too much sugar, which is why they have that prevalent issue, and they could control their desire for sweet things to avoid this condition. These stereotypes have led to stigmatization, and thus people feel ashamed when they are diagnosed with this disease. Some people blame some families and term those families as diabetic, which may lead to stigmatization in society. There is no justification for the mainstream belief that diabetic people are lazy and overeat. Diabetes is a complex disease, and it is not wholly caused by food, but genetics also make it viable for people to contract the disease. It is a complex condition, and it involves the matter of insulin; it is not a matter of eating and exercising alone. According to the reference of people as lazy, it is unpleasant to blame diabetic people. Those undergoing medication also feel stigmatized since they have to take medicine and accompany them in their bag. Some patients have the medication process of injecting themselves with insulin, which may traumatize them. These issues are not justifiable, and society’s members should be optimistic about the case of diabetes and ensure they do not neglect the suffering people in this condition.
Diabetes is also an issue of concern in China, as it is in America. In America, the infection is among the elderly, and type 2 is the dominant type with which many people are diagnosed. In China, diabetes mellitus is among the leading non-communicable diseases, which is of grave concern. There has been an increasing number of diabetics in China, and there is an expectation of more in the years to come. China is also the country with the most people with diabetes globally as of 2019 (Fan et al., 2019). Rather than in America, there are several fatalities related to diabetes in China. However, many people in China have received treatment compared to those who have received treatment in America. In China, treatment and rapid management lead to the counterattacking of the much higher condition. Studies involving diabetes in China are increasing, thus paving the way for managing and controlling the condition. In China, the leading causes of the disease are obesity, genetic factors, diet, aging, and physical activity, and these turn out to be global causes (Hu & Jia, 2018). There is increased control in China rather than America. In China, the condition is also common among people over 45 years of age, and it is similar in America.
In the US and China, there are several ways diabetes mellitus is being addressed. Several organs are working together to rectify diabetes. In the world, over the last two years, all medical forces have embarked on fighting and managing COVID-19, and they have withdrawn the fight against diabetes mellitus. The US government has indicated that there has been a rise in diabetes mellitus since they have invested in fighting COVID-19 (Schillinger et al., 2022). They have therefore developed various programs for people to manage the condition, for example, the National Diabetes Prevention Program, which gives regular attendance to people suffering from type 2 diabetes, mostly the elderly in American society. The government has also raised various initiatives and educated the public on this issue. There are also discussions of this factor in the science books, ensuring that as learners graduate from school, they have the basic knowledge of how the pancreas works to regulate blood sugar and diabetes. The US government has also supported improved lifestyles with improved diets to ensure that citizens do not have a poor diet, resulting in diabetes. China also has several means that they have employed to manage diabetes. The government has rolled out programs for proper education for the public. The government has also given medical schemes that allow free screening of blood sugar levels, which will help members of the public get treatment if the blood sugar levels exceed the required limits. Through the Food Act, China has regulated the amount of sugar that should not be allowed in food, controlling the sugar in foods. There are also different stations in China where they get a blood sugar screening, thus creating a way to manage the ailment.
The American Diabetes Association is one of the organizations in America dealing with diabetes. The mission of this organization is to prevent and cure diabetes and ensure those affected by it live a quality life. This organization also funds research aiming to solve the issue. They also provide credible information to people and give voice to people whose rights have been violated because of the diabetic situation they have. This organization also delivers services to many communities in America. It also advises the government on improving the lives of people infected with diabetes and how to prevent it in the country. In China, one of the organizations dealing with diabetes is the International Diabetes Federation China. The organization has noted that there are many diabetes cases, and they are on the rise daily. They have indicated that 1 in 10 people in China lives with diabetes. Their mission is to improve the capacity to avert, detect, and treat diabetes, thereby lightening the burden on the Chinese community. They have several approaches, such as developing the National Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Guidelines with the Ministry of Health and managing diabetes in different parts of China. They also have other models to apply to manage this pandemic. This organization has set a world diabetes day where they sensitize the public on the matters of diabetes and also offer atlases with information on the hotspots of diabetes.
If someone asked me to recommend a website about diabetes, I would recommend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This website contains information about diabetes mellitus and explains different measures people can undertake to fight the disease. This website also identifies different types of diabetes, the risk factors, and how to prevent diabetes. It also provides other relevant information about this condition. It is found at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html. If asked to recommend a movie or a documentary, I would recommend That Sugar Film, directed by Damon Gameau. This documentary examines sugars in food and their effect on the human body. The main character changes his diet to a low-fat but high-sugar diet. In turn, he becomes overweight and develops a liver disease, and this raises the alarm to the viewers that they should avoid excessive sugary food since it may be hazardous to their health (That Sugar Film, 2014). Therefore, the film is one of those I can recommend to anyone interested in knowledge about diabetes. If asked about a book, I can recommend A Second Cure: A Second Novel about Diabetes and the Search for a Cure by Peter Chase. The book has a story about Alisson and his husband, a doctor, who, on their honeymoon, receive a phone call, which notifies them that the dean of the medical school has been killed. While they try to solve the issue, another dean is shot as some twins from a family in Mexico undergo a diabetes cure. They have another medication, and that is why the book is referred to as a search for a cure because the treatment becomes so hard since these deans were shot and they were the experts in the field.
The best approach is to teach people about diabetes, thereby creating awareness. When people understand what diabetes is, they will have the confidence to seek medical attention, and it will also help avoid stigmatization. When public members acquire knowledge about diabetes, there can be screening and treatment of the disease. During the learning period, there is a need for educators to provide a different method by which people can prevent this disease. Creating awareness, preventing it, and treating it is the best approach to dealing with the issue. As a future health educator, I can address the problem by creating awareness about the disease. I will teach people the anatomy of diseases and how they work. I would explain how people can protect themselves from the disease. I would open a station to deal with illness, but I would deal with diabetes at a higher level, where I would teach people how the disease works and how they can prevent it. I will make sure that in that clinic I sensitize the public about the disease, ensuring that we solve the issue in our family and the neighborhood.
Diabetes is a type of ailment where the body cannot regulate blood sugar in the blood. China is the leading country in the world with diabetic cases. The USA also has several instances of this disease, and the rate has also been alarming. It is a disease that people can easily manage through a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. Type 2 is the dominant type of diabetes mellitus in China and the US, as the paper has discussed. The most affected people are the elderly, who are 45 years and older. Age is an essential factor in diabetes, but medication can solve this issue by treating diabetic people in our societies.