.
When food is taken into the body, protein is broken down into amino acids, fats are broken down into essential fatty acids, and carbohydrates are broken down into sugars, all of which are used by the body (Adderly, 2000). All the body's cells use glucose as a fuel, and insulin allows them to absorb it from the bloodstream. If insulin resistance occurs, or the body secretes too little insulin, this does not happen and the blood sugar level rises.
The pancreas reacts to high blood sugar levels by secreting more insulin, but this also leads to higher levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL) as well as "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL), high triglycerides, and higher blood pressure (Schardt and Schmidt, 1996). Eventually the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand. Unfortunately, by the time the disease is diagnosed, irreparable damage may have been done, leading to stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and blindness.
Certain risk factors are recognized as precursors of Type II diabetes. They include obesity, a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, inactivity and age (for those over 40 years of age) (Adderly, 2000). Race is also important, since African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also at
...