{"id":40383,"date":"2011-01-14T14:32:08","date_gmt":"2011-01-14T19:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/?p=40383"},"modified":"2011-01-14T12:39:33","modified_gmt":"2011-01-14T17:39:33","slug":"what-exactly-is-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/01\/what-exactly-is-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly is Diabetes?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The American Diabetic Association states that diabetes “is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body’s ability to produce and\/or use insulin.” It’s important to understand that there are<\/em> certain risk factors for diabetes but just because someone has it, doesn’t mean it’s their own fault for being unhealthy or overweight. There are several forms of diabetes\u00a0but the one that gets the most attention is Type 2. I’d like to take a moment and\u00a0explain each type, including the less common ones.\u00a0Logically, it makes sense to start with Type 1.<\/p>\n

Type 1 Diabetes<\/strong> is also known as juvenile diabetes because it is often (but not always) diagnosed during childhood. A\u00a0Type 1 diabetic does not produce insulin.\u00a0The exact causes of Type 1 diabetes are unknown, although genetics are clearly a factor. Another theory is that certain viruses may cause or make the body more susceptible to Type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n

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Type 2 Diabetes <\/strong>occurs when the body does one of two things: Either it doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin is ignored by the body. Although genetics play a role in all forms of diabetes, a healthy lifestyle may prevent, or at the very least delay, the onset of Type 2. The following risk factors are straight from the ADA’s website:<\/p>\n