Diabetes Problem Getting Worse As Low-Carb Solution Still Ignored

This United Press International story says that health problems associated with carrying excessive weight have grown increasingly worse to our neighbors to the south of the United States, according to The National Institute of Public Health in Mexico.

In fact, they are now seriously concerned that diabetes has become such a paramount problem that it could literally dismantle the health care system there because costs associated with treating it are expected to double by 2010.

While we have not reached the brink of bankrupting the health care system in the United States yet, we are certainly going down a similar path with an eventual fate if we do not do something about the rampant obesity that has become such a political hot potato that nobody is willing to touch it.

In Mexico, they are blaming the poor eating habits and lack of exercise for contributing to the increase in diabetes and obesity. Sound familiar? It seems the American lifestyle is starting to rub off on the countries around us and not for the better either.

Since 1985, the number of diabetes cases jumped SEVEN-FOLD to become the fourth largest cause of death in Mexico at a price tag of $317 million a year.

Yikes! That should wake up a few government bureaucrats and health care providers that they have a very real problem on their hands! What is it going to take for the United States and other countries for that matter to start recommending people do something effective to take care of their obesity problem and to bring the diabetes epidemic under control.

I have mentioned it many times in this forum, but livin' la vida low-carb has been an extremely effective way to bring diabetes under control. Case after case of people who have begun a low-carb way of eating has shown the condition improves and the patient loses weight. An excellent resource to further explain how and why low-carb can help diabetes patients is Atkins Diabetes Revolution. This book is HIGHLY recommended for anyone who has diabetes or knows someone who does and feels like there is no hope for overcoming it. Get this book and you'll find the hope you've been looking for!

Meanwhile, the health care costs associated with diabetes and obesity gobble up over one-third of Mexico's budget for public health insurance and puts a real strain on their already flailing economy. Public health officials say they expect these costs to continue to rise exponentially in the next few years with no end in sight.

As it stands today, there are 6.5 million cases of diabetes in Mexico, including 35 percent who don't even know they have it yet! A spokesperson for the study said "the most important tool in fighting diabetes is education and Mexico already has in place one of the best prevention and education programs in the world."

But what are they teaching them through this "prevention and education programs?" I'm sure it's full of the same old low-fat diet with moderate exercise advice that's been hammered down on Americans for generations. When something is tried over and over again and you expect to see different results, do you know what that's called? It is the classic definition of insanity! Not only has the low-fat advice failed, but failed miserably. It's time to look at other alternatives.

Might I suggest the low-carb lifestyle? Since many people have seen fabulous results as a result of doing a low-carb program, how could it be any worse than what we have right now? It can't because living with obesity and diabetes is just not an option. REAL SOLUTIONS to this VERY REAL PROBLEM need to be discussed within the inner circles of the health care industry. If they are serious about dealing with the problem of obesity and diabetes, then the time to do this is NOW.

Interestingly, the report also found that there was a marginal increase in the carbohydrate intake and a very large increase in the consumption of soft drinks by Mexicans which likely contributed to their obesity and diabetes. The risk was linked to those who consumed drinks sweetened with either sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. That means they're putting a whole lot more sugar in their mouths than they ever have before! This is not good!

Have you heard about this Harvard Nurses' Health Study from last year that found people who drink just ONE glass of soda or fruit punch per day gained a lot more weight and increased their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 80 percent than those who had less than one every four weeks? Me neither. Why isn't this front page news?

I recently wrote a blog entry entitled Sugar, Not Fat, Responsible For Obesity Problem which explains in detail why the focus should be on the large amounts of sugar we are consuming and not the fat. This message needs to be stated over and over and over again until it finally sinks into the thick skulls of the bigwigs making all the decisions in the health care industry. WAKE UP PEOPLE! YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE!

One interesting statistic that sticks out like a sore thumb is the fact that most of the diabetes cases are located in the areas closest to the U.S. border! We're exporting diabetes to Mexico! Betcha didn't know that, did you?! In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that there is a higher rate of obesity and diabetes along the U.S.-Mexico border than the national average. Why is that?

The Mexican government has tried to help their citizens battle diabetes by creating a web site located at Todo En Diabetes, which means "All About Diabetes." It written in Spanish and needs to offer Mexicans a low-carb option for dealing with their condition. Which country is going to step up to the plate and give their citizens another option for treating their diabetes and obesity with a low-carb solutions? We'll be watching.