Why More People Diagnosed with Diabetes?

Diabetes is reaching epidemic levels in our society. Some of the underlying cause for Type2 Diabetes is probably tied to inactivity and obesity to be sure and certain, but I think this is really just an easy target.

In my mother and father’s day, and even when I was a child, we didn’t have video games or much television and so on. We walked a lot, spent more time outside doing things and so on. HOWEVER, as a child, and in my memories, my Grandfather, Grandmother never did any more physical exercise really than I have done in my life. They never went to a gym because there really weren’t any at that time. I never ever saw any of these people “sweating to the oldies” in any way, shape or form. They also did not have to chop wood to stay warm, carry water to the house nor really go outside to go to the bathroom. These pioneer activities had all been replaced by technology and improvements and were all being phased out.  They had automobiles and used them instead of walking whenever possible. My mother still just putts around all day doing things that she wants to do. She’s never done aerobics, nor anything like that and she’s 86 years old and Diabetes-free.

Kids are kids. What I mean is that when I was a kid, I ran around everywhere and played and jumped at school and at home. Kids today have gymnastics at school. They still go onto playgrounds and play for a period of time every day. They are not completely as active as we were when I was young. People don’t really invest in swing sets like they used to; but the kids do still run and jump.

So why are people getting more of this disease now?  Certainly we have more comfort. We do less and that’s a fact because there is less to do as far as putting around maintaining our homes. We don’t have to maintain everything all the time because we’ve developed solutions and longer lasting materials for our homes and automobiles so that we don’t really have to do that, but food has changed as well and I think that has something to do with this as well.

I continually hear things like “oh we’re all so lazy now.”  But I get to work every morning. I walk from the parking lot into the building. I then walk the entire length of the building to the cafeteria to get coffee and then back the entire length of the building to the elevators. I know that every single day I must walk at least a half a mile for sure. I put around on weekends and walk in the neighborhood. I am not doing any less than I’ve seen my parents and grandparents do for my entire lifetime and yet, I have Diabetes… 

Let me know what you think about why we’re seeing higher rates of Diabetes now.