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America’s losing battle against diabetes

reuters.com

71–80 of 182 posts

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#71

The health care model in the US doesn't really help much on the matter, but this isn't a battle against diabetes, diabetes is just the result of an overweight population with bad dietary habits. There is the inherited kind, and then there is the "earned" kind. One is genetically unavoidable, the other is mostly preventable. It is not even the food, or fats, or carbs, or sugars, it's too many calories over extended ti…

Type 2 diabetes is also very much a genetic problem. Sure, being overweight may give you a more likely chance of seeing the issues arise (sooner that is)but I know plenty of people who are not overweight and have type 2 diabetes.

If someone has the genetic disposition for Type 2 diabetes in younger, more fit people they are still extremely likely to start seeing the effects as they age and lose activity (even if they do not become overweight/obese).

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#72
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, a giant corporation outsources their production to china, pays zero carbon tax, and still pollutes the same planet, but Johnny average cannot heat his house and drive his car, because he cannot afford it anymore?

then tax import goods from China on entry to US until US authorities are satisfied with the amounts of carbon taxes paid in China (to China).

I believe we had a recent President who tried to raise import taxes (for whatever reason) on imports from China and the opposition went totally berserk. If it didn't work then or for whatever those reasons were, why would it work now?

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#73

Easiest solution to diabetes: Sugar tax. Easiest solution to climate change: Carbon tax. If we havn't used these solutions, someone high up in the food chain is placing a greater emphasis on profits from the status quo instead of the wellbeing of the population.

80% of people with Type 2 diabetes who are overweight would be asymptomatic if they lost weight. Perhaps we should tax obesity and not burden those who know how to eat responsibly?

Perhaps we should treat unhealthy foods like we treat other unhealthy things like cigarettes and alcohol. Tax them at 90%, must be 21 or older, ban advertising, and require scary warning labels on the retailers that sell them, the containers, and the menus.

The real problem is two fold. tons of people are negligently ignorant about what they eat and how it affects them. Lots of people’s livelihoods depend upon most people having terrible diets. Like seafood? You’re probably eating multiple times the safe limit of heavy metals. Like live events with popup food services? Would you like it as much if the only affordable foods were vegetable and fiber rich options without the large servings of carbs and sugars? Want cirrhosis with your alcohol? Want diabetes warnings on your ice cream and coffees?

To solve the diabetes epidemic we must get structure the parts of society that rely on people actively eating themselves too expensive and early deaths.

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#74
Let's stop pretending we care about diabetes. All the time an article like this gets trotted out and life goes on the minute the world has stopped reading it.

If we cared, we'd address the culture that is making us miserable.

We can try to address diabetes, obesity, depression, and suicide by passing bills and popping pills, but it doesn't actually address anything.

People are miserable whether they know it consciously or not. Many Americans believe they are happy and yet are spiritually devoid. They know deep down that the reward they're getting for their effort is break-even most of the time. The more aware can see this reflected as stagnant wages. American society is that of decreasing trust and we've never been more divided. What do people do when they feel alienated? They seek out escape. What kind of escape can most people afford? Comforting, cheap, and addictive food and vicarious living through mainstream mass entertainment.

Yeah, no shit they're getting fat and sick.

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#75
post #38

Do you guys think the mid-late 20th century phenomena of fat = bad, sugar = no comment, has anything to do with this battle?

Yes, t had a lot to do with it. The war against salt, also.

As a millennial, I remember my Mom buying those Snack well cookies for herself, thinking they were more healthy than traditional cookies. I assume they compensated for less fat with added sugar.

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#76

Easiest solution to diabetes: Sugar tax. Easiest solution to climate change: Carbon tax. If we havn't used these solutions, someone high up in the food chain is placing a greater emphasis on profits from the status quo instead of the wellbeing of the population.

Any tax on food hits poor people much more than wealthier people. You are taking food out of people's mouths.

Taxes can be redirected to the poor or even used to subsidize other food choices. The point is people and companies would make different choices if empty calories where relatively more expensive.

The same is true of carbon taxes, they don’t extract money from the economy they move it around within the same economy.

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#77
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taxing sugar means people can no longer heat their house or pay for gas? Sounds like a bit of a reach. How much exactly is Johnny Average spending on sugar every month?

taxing carbon does that.

No, you can cut other taxes or give a UBI to offset it.

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#78
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

then tax import goods from China on entry to US until US authorities are satisfied with the amounts of carbon taxes paid in China (to China).

I believe we had a recent President who tried to raise import taxes (for whatever reason) on imports from China and the opposition went totally berserk. If it didn't work then or for whatever those reasons were, why would it work now?

why do you think it didn’t work? It certainly hurt China economically and they aren’t exactly the friend of US.

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#79

The health care model in the US doesn't really help much on the matter, but this isn't a battle against diabetes, diabetes is just the result of an overweight population with bad dietary habits. There is the inherited kind, and then there is the "earned" kind. One is genetically unavoidable, the other is mostly preventable. It is not even the food, or fats, or carbs, or sugars, it's too many calories over extended ti…

There is some evidence that certain artificial sweeteners can alter glucose metabolism and increase obesity risk.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/29/htm

Re: America’s losing battle against diabetes

#80

I strongly believe that fasting is one of the best ways to combat obesity, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and more. The scientific literature is certainly accumulating tremendous evidence supporting this hypothesis [1]. Here is one of my favorite videos on the subject [2], a talk by Dr Pradip Jamnadas who is one of the top cardiologists in Florida. There is no industry that profits on you being healthier thro…

I have never been more miserable than when I was doing fasting. It was truly one of the most horrible times of my life.

I tried for months. My sleep as disrupted, I felt awful, and I had no energy. But more to the point, _nothing happened at all_ in terms of weight loss. Just thinking about it makes me angry!

I have no idea what the hell is going on with my metabolism and why I am the pure opposite case. I'm genuinely curious.

Right now, I lift heavy 3x a week and do moderate cardio 3x a week (run, bike, swim, etc). I feel great! And I get to eat like an insane teenager. My blood chemistry is perfect and my resting heart rate is in the high 40s.

It's more than a little frustrating at times that I have to do all that _work_ when I personally know people who dropped a bunch of weight with almost no effort via fasting. I feel great, though, and at this point I'm used to the program.

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