Diabetes is a disease in which our bodies do not produce enough "Insulin" or effective insulin. Most of the components of our meal contain sugar. When we eat food, it is broken down into simple sugar called glucose. This glucose is taken by blood and it travels there freely till it is used by the cells to produce energy. Our cell use glucose to produce energy to do work such as our daily activities of walking, sitting, running and so on. Apart from this, our body needs glucose for proper functioning all organs such as brain, heart, muscles, kidneys, lungs and so on. However, insulin is required for uptake of glucose by the cells. Without insulin our bodies are not able to use glucose effectively and our blood sugar levels increases.

Diabetes Prevention

Primary prevention is a very promising strategy to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and its complications for individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes. It is beneficial for older people who are at risk of developing type II diabetes. No researches have concluded that type I diabetes can be prevented by any strategy.Timely intervention of primary prevention can not only prevent from diabetes but also reduce the risk of developing heart disease other associated disorders.The various components of primary prevention are lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy weight, healthy diet with proper nutrition, regular physical activity and health check- ups at desired intervals.

Secondary prevention is targeted at the early detection of the complications associated with diabetes, so that they can be prevented. Secondary prevention ensures cost effectiveness in terms of reduced treatment cost and hospitalization requirements to treat the complications of diabetes and also helps a diabetic in attaining good quality of life. Researches have proved that diabetic individuals, who are able to manage their blood sugar levels effectively, have reduced incidence of complications related to diabetes and have a better quality of life.

Types of Diabetes

Type I Diabetes is also known as Juvenile- Onset Diabetes, it is a condition in which the body fails to produce insulin. It occurs most often in childhood or in the teens. Individuals with this type of diabetes need daily injections of insulin. They must balance their daily intake of food and activities carefully with their insulin shots to keep sugar levels under control. Juvenile - diabetes is an autoimmune disorder which can be due to environmental trigger or virus, which hampers the function of beta cell. Once the beta cells are destroyed the body is unable to produce insulin. A child with diabetic siblings is more prone to develop juvenile diabetes than the child from a totally unaffected family. It is considered to be a more hereditary problem than excess eating or being obese. Almost 5 percent of the population suffers from juvenile diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes is also called non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. This occurs around 35 to 40 years. The more common of the two types, it accounts for about 90 per cent of the diabetics. It is characterized by the inability of body to use insulin. Here, though the pancreas produce adequate insulin, body cells show reduced sensitivity towards it. Type 2 diabetes is usually triggered by obesity. The best way to fight it is by weight loss, exercise and dietary control.  The treatment can be either through oral medication or through insulin injections.

Gestational Diabetes occurs in pregnant females usually during late pregnancy. It is due to the fact that the hormones produced during pregnancy reduce woman’s receptivity to insulin. It is often a temporary phase which goes away as soon as the pregnancy ends. However, these females are always at a higher risk of developing diabetes during the later years of life. Gestational diabetes, affects approximately 4% of all the pregnant females..