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Meet Adrian who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when your body cannot make enough insulin and cannot effectively use the insulin it makes. This is called insulin resistance, and it develops over months or even years1.
If you’ve just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you can expect to live an active and independent life if you correctly manage your disease. To do so, you will need to change the way you care for your health and plan carefully for specific activities and occasions.
Learning to balance your diet, physical activity and blood sugar levels and adapt to different circumstances will help you live life to the fullest and avoid serious health problems down the line2,3.
The causes of type 2 diabetes are not fully understood. The chronic disease is commonly linked with being overweight as well as with family history and ethnicity7.
Is type 2 diabetes genetic? Type 2 diabetes can be inherited and linked to your family history and genetics. However, environmental factors play a significant role too. A healthy diet and regular exercise will reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes – even if the disease runs in your family7.
Type 2 diabetes develops gradually, so you may not even notice the symptoms until they become obvious. This is dangerous, as high blood sugar levels may already be damaging your body1.
Are you at risk of developing diabetes, or do you have it already? It is estimated that as many as 50% of people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have the disease and risk developing serious health complications1.
Knowing your risk and getting screened early are simple steps towards a longer, healthier life.
The correlation between diabetes and cardiovascular disease only heightens the need to be aware of risk factors and catch symptoms of diabetes early4,5.
You might be wondering; how do you reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
We recommend9-11:
Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be controlled with diet and exercise alone. If these are not enough to control your blood sugar levels, or as the disease progresses over time, you may also need to take medication1.
Eating healthy when you have diabetes can be difficult but eating well means learning to make healthy choices for you – regardless of where you are or who you are with. Aim to3,12:
A few food swaps you can make to help control your blood sugar levels9
Regular exercise can help you control your blood sugar levels, lose weight, and improve your physical and mental health. A slight increase in physical activity can make a huge difference13. Check out these easy low-impact activities to get started:
In summary, to live an active and independent life with type 2 diabetes, you may need to change the way you care for your health through diet and lifestyle changes.
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