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Happy Birthday to the World Health Organization!
07 April 2016 - by Nicole Meredith
To celebrate its founding, the World Health Organization (WHO) started World Health Day. Every year, they use their birthday (April 7th) to raise awareness about a health concern. This year, the day is devoted to the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Diabetes is a non-communicable, chronic, metabolic disease. It happens when the body does not produce sufficient insulin (which causes type 1 diabetes), or if the body cannot use the insulin it does produce effectively (which causes type 2 diabetes). These insulin issues cause elevated levels of glucose in the blood which, over time, cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, and eyes.
Right now, about 350 million people across the world have diabetes. Every year, 1.5 million people die of the disease.
Ninety per cent of people who have diabetes have type 2, meaning this type in particular demands attention. Given that type 2 diabetes is often the result of excess body weight and a sedentary lifestyle, the WHO recommends that everyone should be able to access nutritious food and opportunities to get active.
Ideally, the onset of diabetes would be prevented entirely. To accomplish that goal, we as a society need to make it easier for people to live a healthy lifestyle. Every body is unique, meaning that this “healthy lifestyle” will look different for different people. Instead of insisting on strict diets and traditional exercise regimes, we should be helping people find the foods and activities that work for them.
It’s easy to stick to a “diet” when you like what you’re eating, just like it’s easy to stick to a “workout routine” you think is fun and exciting. So, if people teach their kids about the many fun ways they can get active, starting when they’re young, they’ll grow up to be healthy, fit adults.
For those who already have diabetes, plenty can be done to avoid complications and ensure improved health and happiness. Most importantly, awareness must be spread about diabetes and its consequences, so people know when they need to see their doctor. A diagnosis is the first step in developing an action plan to manage symptoms and prevent their progression.
Causes & Effects
Diabetes is a non-communicable, chronic, metabolic disease. It happens when the body does not produce sufficient insulin (which causes type 1 diabetes), or if the body cannot use the insulin it does produce effectively (which causes type 2 diabetes). These insulin issues cause elevated levels of glucose in the blood which, over time, cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves, and eyes.
Right now, about 350 million people across the world have diabetes. Every year, 1.5 million people die of the disease.
WHO’s Action Plan
Ninety per cent of people who have diabetes have type 2, meaning this type in particular demands attention. Given that type 2 diabetes is often the result of excess body weight and a sedentary lifestyle, the WHO recommends that everyone should be able to access nutritious food and opportunities to get active.
Ideally, the onset of diabetes would be prevented entirely. To accomplish that goal, we as a society need to make it easier for people to live a healthy lifestyle. Every body is unique, meaning that this “healthy lifestyle” will look different for different people. Instead of insisting on strict diets and traditional exercise regimes, we should be helping people find the foods and activities that work for them.
It’s easy to stick to a “diet” when you like what you’re eating, just like it’s easy to stick to a “workout routine” you think is fun and exciting. So, if people teach their kids about the many fun ways they can get active, starting when they’re young, they’ll grow up to be healthy, fit adults.
For those who already have diabetes, plenty can be done to avoid complications and ensure improved health and happiness. Most importantly, awareness must be spread about diabetes and its consequences, so people know when they need to see their doctor. A diagnosis is the first step in developing an action plan to manage symptoms and prevent their progression.
