Metabolism has dynamic interactions with the function and overall health of a body. The body’s inability to break down food into energy causes diseases such as Crohn’s, lactose intolerance, lysinuric protein intolerance, etc.. One important metabolic disease is diabetes, the body's inability to control glucose (sugar) levels. We could all probably think of a person we know that has diabetes. Off the top of my head, I can think of three close friends that have diabetes. One misconception about diabetes is that because there is a treatment for diabetes, it seems to be an insignificant disease. Most people would not consider it a large concern because people can live for many years with the disease. Diabetes should be taken more seriously to our society.
Glucose is one of the primary energy sources the body uses to function. The body's ability to regulate glucose levels is crucial for many organs, tissues, and other pathway functions but specifically the brain. When the body has an adequate food supply, 70% of the brain's energy comes from the breakdown of glucose. This is the main driving force of brain function. With the idea of the brain needing so much glucose, it made me wonder if diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia were linked to diabetes. Research suggests that those with diabetes do have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other dementias, however, the connection between these two diseases is not fully understood. From my perspective, it only makes sense that there is some type of link between diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s because of how much glucose is utilized within the brain. Diabetes causes damage to blood vessels and people with diabetes are at a high risk of developing vascular dementia (Mayo Clinic Staff 2019). Damage to the blood vessels creates problems for the exchange of chemicals such as glucose, oxygen, and other substances the body needs.
Society sees diabetes as having a “treatment”. Someone won’t die if they have diabetes but there are so many other complications. It has links to Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, kidney damage, cardiovascular disease, and so many more. Diabetics are not dying immediately but their risk of death is increased just by having diabetes and slowly diabetes causes other issues that lead to death. It is as if diabetes type II is a pandemic and as a society, we are unconcerned with our health. Today and for the past couple of months, we are extremely concerned with the Covid-19 virus that we are failing to recognize as a potentially more dangerous disease, the slow deterioration of the body. On a global scale, we have changed requirements to be inside buildings by wearing masks and have encouraged social distancing, hand washing, and staying home if you are feeling sick. Why haven’t we created strong initiatives to prevent diabetes? Why are we not seeing the current health trends of long term diseases as a larger issue? Part of it is that healthier eating habits and getting physical activity is not convenient. Excuses are made to not add exercise into our daily schedules and it is easier to just pick up food from a drive-through then cook. The other part of not eating the right foods and getting active is because of money.
Society would rather save today to pay for tomorrow. What I mean by this is many people think eating healthy is expensive and gym passes are expensive so these immediate costs are sacrificed to pay for medical bills in the future. No surprise but diabetes does place financial burdens on those who are suffering from this disease. Diabetes is a long-term disease, which means those with diabetes have to closely monitor their glucose levels. The treatment for diabetes is insulin, whether that comes in the form of shots or a pump. Either way, insulin is an expensive treatment. People that are diabetic cannot just go without insulin. It is a recurring cost that they pay on a regular basis. If a diabetic is not successful at monitoring glucose levels that person may end up in the hospital. The hospital bill will be an additional cost to their already regular insulin cost. Any hospital bill a person with diabetes receives will be more than someone who does not have the disease because it costs the hospital more to treat them and that gets tacked on to the patient's bill. All of this cost accumulating does place some strain on the diabetic but also their family who constantly worry about their loved one keeping their glucose levels under control and having enough insulin. Finally, diabetics not only burden those closest to them but society as a whole. It is estimated that from 2007-2012 there has been a 41% increase in the total economic cost of diagnosed diabetes (American Diabetes Association 2013). With the incline of the number of people being diagnosed this only means the economic cost will continue to increase. Diabetes is causing economic and personal finance issues that many people do not recognize.
First being our primary social group, parents. Our parents are potentially one of the biggest influences on our health and development of later diseases that are linked to poor eating habits and lack of physical activity. From day one our parents influence how much we go outside to play or sit in front of the TV. Our parents are choosing what foods we are eating and when we eat them. When there is a lack of understanding of nutrients that can be carried from generation to generation. How we treat our bodies affects our children and their children for years to come. There is a show called 1000 Pound Sisters. In one scene of the show, the sisters said that their mother told them that when you eat sugar you can cancel out the sugar by drinking a diet soda. These women were pounding a case and a half of diet soda a day. To some extent, they had to know that the diet soda was not canceling out all the sugar they were consuming, yet they still used that as an excuse. Our parents have more influence on our eating habits than we would like to think. Not only do our parents influence our health and metabolism but so do our friends. Our culture uses food to socialize with others. You want to catch up with friends you have not seen in a while you will probably go out to eat. You visit home and your family will probably go out to dinner. When I think about how many times my friends text me to go out to eat with them it is at least once a week. Most places to eat out are not that healthy for anyone and yet we eat out more often than we probably should. We eat out to catch up on our friends' lives. We go out for appetizers and drinks because it's a fun thing to do with our friends. This also plays a factor in our health. We do not want to be left out so we go to the greasy burger place for dinner and then stop for ice cream or another dessert because that is what our friends are doing. Eating out every once in a while is not a bad thing but that is what we do almost every time we get together with our friends and it affects our health and metabolism.
The first thought is biology but when we have time to sit down and think we realize there are other factors that are just as influential on the disease of diabetes as biology. Diabetics face constant financial burdens that then cause issues within the economics of our country. Eating habits are influenced by the people we are around such as parents and friends. To more fully understand the problems and effects diabetics face, we need to look at factors other than biology. We as a society should take a multiple angled approach to solve these problems than just biological research. It is our own responsibility to make sure our bodies and genetics last through the years.
American Diabetes Association. (2013). Economic costs of diabetes in the US in 2012. Diabetes
care, 36(4), 1033-1046.
Mayo Clinic Staff. The link between diabetes and Alzheimer's. (2019). Diabetes and
Alzheimer’s Linked.
What a great description of what diabetes is and how if affects each of us. Whether we are one that has it, or if we are one that knows someone who has it, it still affects each and everyone of us. Like you said we save money by not making healthier choices but in the end we pay for it in medical expenses. It is truly important that we raise awareness and do everything we can to understand it for ourselves and others. I hope to see a decline in cases and an increase in healthier choices. Also, I like how you think there is a connection between diabetes and Alzheimers. I hope that search continues for these diseases because they are becoming more and more common. Thanks for your paper it helped see a different perspective on this topic.
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