Diabetes Diagnosis: A Serious Problem That Must Be Taken More Seriously

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 37 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes. And it’s increasing.

However, many are unaware that they are at risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. As part of the reporting series “Diagnosis of Diabetes,” Texas Public Radio Yvette Benavidez and David Martin Davis go to San Antonio’s Woodlawn Lake Park to talk to people about how diabetes affects their lives. bottom.

The following story is written from their experience and perspective.

A table was set up next to the walking path. It was adorned with a bottle of water, stolen goods from Texas Public Radio, and some vegetable plants.

The plant was a hit. People came to the table. And I was able to ask them if type 2 diabetes had an impact on their family.

Almost everyone we talked to was somehow directly affected by the disease and its complications.

“I just see my family struggling. My dad had it. My grandmother. I have two diabetic brothers,” Sandra Smith told us. ..

Diabetes is so present in her immediate family that Smith is certainly at risk of it. But she said she wasn’t really aware of it.

“I knew I was in my family, but I didn’t have it, so I wasn’t paying attention. But I have prediabetes, so I’m trying to do that. I went to a nutritionist. Sometimes I was talking about what to eat, “Smith said. “That’s my hard work. There are no sophistications, chips, or cookies. As you know, there are cookies, but not the entire pack of cookies. It’s like that.”

And she is walking. Her physical activity is important.

Many of the people we talked to said they were aware of diabetes and its terrible health complications. But they knew nothing more.

Laura Villarreal said her father was diabetic and had high blood pressure, but she was unaware that she was at risk.

“I was actually talking to a friend. I said,” Man, if I get diabetes, it would be terrible because I don’t know anything about it, “she said.

Dr. William Harman, who heads the Federal Advisory Board trying to better deal with diabetes, told us that lack of consciousness has long been a problem.

“Almost 100 million people have pre-diabetes, but the majority don’t know they are at risk for diabetes,” Harman said. “One of the things that emerged at the National Clinical Care Commission was that diabetes has traditionally been considered a medical problem. So you get diabetes and then you get treatment for your diabetes. Now that diabetes is becoming a more social problem, there are changing perspectives. “

Diabetes is a social problem. This is an idea we heard from the people we talked to.

“My mother had type 2 diabetes and my dad also lost his leg because of diabetes. And they both died, but you can say that diabetes took them more or less. “Mary Estrada, the nurse we met on the walkway, said. She has seen an increase in type 2 diabetes-especially for children.

“I think education should start at home. I think a little education is available in elementary school because many children are obese,” she said.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Obesity Report, 20.3% of adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17 are obese in Texas.

“Obesity is associated with more convenience stores and fast food restaurants in the community, as is type 2 diabetes,” Dr. William Harman told us. “Therefore, living in a community with fast food stores and convenience stores increases your risk of diabetes, and if you have a full-service grocery store in your area or neighborhood, you have type 2 diabetes. The risk is low. “

Preschool teachers interviewed for a story at Woodland Lake Park raised the same concerns. She asked her to remain anonymous. She said that over the years, more and more children have noticed that they are obese.

“In the last decade, things have gotten worse. As we see, kindergarten children become obese. They are quite heavy, and it just doesn’t improve first grade and second grade. [grade]”So you mix poor eating habits with inactivity, and you are young and you are 4 and 5 years old, forget it. You are a teenager. By the time you become obese, you will have diabetes. “

According to a study conducted here in San Antonio, childhood type 2 diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate and is highly aggressive. Treatment can still cause complications such as blindness, amputation, or dialysis before these children reach middle age.

TPR will report more on this in the coming months of the series. Diagnosis of diabetes.. But one of the problems we are facing is this paradox. Type 2 diabetes is a serious illness and needs to be taken more seriously.

Editor’s Note: The series Diagnosis Diabetes was made possible by a grant from the USC Center for Health Journalism at Annenberg School.