In Spain 14% of the population suffers from type 2 diabetes, a disease without the appearance of symptoms in its initial stages, consequently half of the cases remain undiagnosed.
60% of the Spanish population suffers from vitamin D deficiency.
Diabetes can be described today as a true epidemic that is growing in parallel with obesity. Type 2 diabetes has quadrupled in the last 30 years and there are already 400 million adults suffering from this disease. It is associated with the increase in obesity and sedentary lifestyles, so healthy lifestyle habits play an increasingly important role both for prevention and for achieving adequate control once the disease has been diagnosed.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in three people is overweight and 42 million children under the age of five fall into this category (11 million more than in 2000). Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in children and adolescents worldwide, according to the WHO, governments must adopt national measures and strategies to control childhood obesity by 2025.
Maintaining a balanced weight, avoiding obesity, eating a healthy diet, avoiding excess sugars and exercising every day are the key tools to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
It is necessary to take into account that some people are more at risk than others of developing diabetes, especially those who have a history of diabetes in first or second degree relatives, people over 50 years of age who are overweight or obese, especially if they accumulate fat around the waist, women diagnosed with gestational diabetes or people who have had to take certain drugs that can favor the appearance of diabetes, such as corticosteroids”. In these cases, even greater care and prevention is recommended.
Preventive guidelines to take into account
- Try to maintain a balanced weight at all stages of life.
- Exercise every day.
- Eat fruit and vegetables daily.
- Reduce the absorption of sugar, especially sweets, pastries and soft drinks.
- Eat whole grains.
- Consume olive oil.
- Drink enough fluids per day, 1 to 1.5 liters per day, preferably water.
The importance of early detection
Up to 70% of cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with a healthy lifestyle. In people with already diagnosed diabetes, it is important to achieve adequate control of the disease and other cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, obesity) to prevent the development of complications associated with diabetes and early detection of the presence of chronic complications associated with diabetes (Retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, etc).