Diabetes Prevention Is the Best Remedy, TOPS Medical E...( Tomorrow may...),Health

Tomorrow may be too late when it comes to preventing or improving a diabetes condition, according to TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization.

(Vocus) November 9, 2009 -- Tomorrow may be too late when it comes to preventing or improving a diabetes condition, according to TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily life. Obesity is one of the leading risk factors for developing the most prevalent form of diabetes, Type 2 (adult-onset). Typically affecting individuals age 40 and older, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion notes that Type 2 diabetes has been reported among children and adolescents with increasing frequency. According to the American Diabetes Association, one out of every three children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue. If not treated properly, diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, foot ulcers, and the need for limb amputations.

In acknowledgment of November being National Diabetes Month, Nicholas “Dr. Nick” Yphantides, M.D., M.P.H., medical spokesperson for TOPS, says, “Preventive care, like weight loss, a healthy diet, and physical activity, is the easiest way to avoid diabetes and its complications.”

A formerly obese person who once weighed 467 pounds, Dr. Nick was a borderline diabetic and has treated diabetic individuals for years. He now focuses on preventive health, emphasizing, “There are currently 24 million people in the United States who are diabetics. There are 57 million more who are pre-diabetic, having blood glucose levels
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