Yes, regular doctor visits could help with lowering the incidences of Type 2 Diabetes; however, it's no secret at all that Type 2 Diabetes is closely related to obesity (and genetics certainly play a part in the game as well). My point is that there is no magic cure-all for a disease, the main cause of which is so closely linked to our society's addiction to convenience and dysfunctional relationship with food.
I mean, everywhere we look, we see extremes -- we see underweight, emaciated celebrities and supermodels and the eating disorders bred by the intense, relentless pursuit of "perfection." And on the other side of the coin, we've got a society that celebrates, even rewards excess -- "SPEND $100 AND GET FREE SHIPPING!" or "EAT OUR 60 OZ. STEAK AND IT'S FREE!" We've already got a warped concept of portion sizes, thanks to various fast food chains deciding that bigger is better. (And do not get me started on how bad-for-you food is so incredibly cheap and incredibly accessible. Oy vey.)
When you get down to it, moderation is a pretty foreign concept these days. When excess is celebrated (despite the pesky -- and ridiculous -- moral values associated with it), we're basically setting kids up for failure. I mean, speaking as a formerly chubby child, I knew perfectly well, thanks to my ever-helpful classmates -- that I was overweight. I didn't know what to do about it, but with constant reminders, it would have been difficult to overlook. But every time I tried to fix the situation, I ended up on trendy fad diets. Not remotely helpful.
I guess what I'm trying to say, and I don't know if I'm doing it remotely well, is that Diabetes prevention doesn't have to come from the medical corner.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-08-17 09:26 pm (UTC)I mean, everywhere we look, we see extremes -- we see underweight, emaciated celebrities and supermodels and the eating disorders bred by the intense, relentless pursuit of "perfection." And on the other side of the coin, we've got a society that celebrates, even rewards excess -- "SPEND $100 AND GET FREE SHIPPING!" or "EAT OUR 60 OZ. STEAK AND IT'S FREE!" We've already got a warped concept of portion sizes, thanks to various fast food chains deciding that bigger is better. (And do not get me started on how bad-for-you food is so incredibly cheap and incredibly accessible. Oy vey.)
When you get down to it, moderation is a pretty foreign concept these days. When excess is celebrated (despite the pesky -- and ridiculous -- moral values associated with it), we're basically setting kids up for failure. I mean, speaking as a formerly chubby child, I knew perfectly well, thanks to my ever-helpful classmates -- that I was overweight. I didn't know what to do about it, but with constant reminders, it would have been difficult to overlook. But every time I tried to fix the situation, I ended up on trendy fad diets. Not remotely helpful.
I guess what I'm trying to say, and I don't know if I'm doing it remotely well, is that Diabetes prevention doesn't have to come from the medical corner.