The Food Court fix
What is Type 2 diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus occurs when there are elevated blood sugar levels in which the body cannot metabolize carbohydrates properly, leading to an insufficient insulin response. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the most common form of diabetes, the non-insulin-dependent version. Unfortunately, T2D accounts for 90 to 95% of diabetic individuals globally, and it is anticipated that the disease will increase to 439 million individuals by 2030 (Wu et al., 2014). About 1 in 10 Americans have T2D. In addition, T2D is the ninth leading cause of death, and over 1 million deaths occur per year from it (Khan et al., 2020).
What causes T2D?
A person is more at risk of developing T2D if they are overweight/obese, don't exercise, have a family history of the disease, have high blood pressure, and consume a diet high in sugar and processed foods (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). The following are symptoms for T2D: blurred vision, fatigue, hunger/thirst, increased urination, slow healing cuts, tingling/numbness in hands and feet, and unexplained weight loss (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
