There are two factors that are the main causes of the rapidly increasing rate of diabetes: unhealthy eating, and a lack of exercise. America’s culture today emphasizes fast food, while putting exercise on the back burner. That’s led to an increasingly large number of Americans leading negative, unhealthy lifestyles.

Take the typical American diet, for instance. It’s incredible how many simple sugars we consume on a daily basis. Between candy, potato chips, French fries, and soda, we’re practically pouring sugar down our throats! The majority of Americans eat twice as many calories as necessary, as well as 160 pounds of sugar that isn’t necessary at all! Add a lack of exercise to that equation and you’ll quickly begin to understand that this problem is getting out of control. Alcohol and nicotine don’t help either, as they cause an increase in oxidative stress.

Put these factors together and you have a recipe for disaster: a skyrocketing diabetes rate, and no end in sight.

Here are the factors that put you at increased risk of diabetes:

	Being 20% or more over the proper number for your BMI (Body Mass Index)
	Physical inactivity
	A history of diabetes in your family
	Being a member of any of the following ethnic groups: African American, Native American, Latin American, Asian American, Pacific Islander
	Having an "Impaired Fasting Glucose" (IFG) or "Impaired Glucose Tolerance" (IGF) on previous blood tests.
	A history of hypertension in either your personal medical history or that of your family (high blood pressure) Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes itself is not the main health risk; instead, the complications it causes over time are the primary concern. The majority of these complications are related to the negative effects diabetes has on the body’s arterial and nervous systems.

Artery Damage

Diabetes wreaks havoc on the body’s artery system.

	Cardiovascular disease. Diabetics are at a much greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke. This increased rate is up to 400% greater . Heart disease and stroke cause approximately 65% of diabetes deaths, and thus constitute the greatest threat. .
	Amputations. More than 80,000 people have their leg or foot amputated each year as a result of issues with diabetes. Indeed, over 60% of amputations not involving physical trauma are related to diabetes.
	Kidney disease. Approximately 40,000 people diabetics develop kidney failure every year.
	Eye disease leading to blindness. Each year, approximately 18,000 people go blind due to diabetic eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy. Among adults, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness.
	Sexual Dysfunction. Seven out of ten males with diabetes experience some kind of impotence or sexual dysfunction at some point in their life.

Nerve Damage

Aside from the risk to the body’s arteries, diabetes main hazard is its effects on the nervous system. Approximately 60-70% of people living with diabetes have some kind of nervous system damage, ranging from mild to severe. Referred to as “diabetic neuropathy”, the result can be numbness, tingling, and in extreme cases, severe pain and hypersthesias.

Look below for examples of diabetic neuropathy

	Peripheral neuropathy
	Peripheral neuropathy increases the likelihood of a necessary amputation. Symptoms include tingling or pain in the legs and feet.
	Stomach and bowel problems
	Specific nerves transmit signals to the stomach. Diabetes negatively effects these nerves, which can result in stomach problems such as diabetes, constipation, and nausea.
	Dizziness when standing
	Each time you stand, your body must change the way it circulates blood. This is because your heart constantly pumps against gravity. When a person has diabetes, the nerves that tell blood vessels to contract don’t work properly, and thus fail to make an adjustment. The result is low blood pressure and feelings of lightheadedness while standing.
	Sexual-function problems People with nerve damage related to diabetes frequently have problems with impotence.
	Localized nerve failures Certain parts of the body are controlled by a single nerve, which can be affected by diabetes. For example, a patient might lose control of a muscle in the eye, leading to double vision. Other Complications
	Death from flu and pneumonia. About 20,000 people diabetics die each year from pneumonia or the flu. Diabetics are approximately 3X as likely to contract these illnesses than other people.
	Complications with Pregnancy. Almost 20,000 women with diabetes give birth each year. Additionally, more than 130,000 expectant mothers are diagnosed as having gestational diabetes.

Patients with Diabetes Suffer From Complications Caused by Two Factors: Sorbitol Accumulation and Excessive Glycosylation

Sorbitol Accumulation

Sorbitol is created when the body metabolizes glucose. Non-diabetics convert the sorbitol into fructose, which is then excreted from the cell. Patients with diabetes can’t break down the sorbitol as quickly as it is produced, and levels quickly build up to a toxic level. The sorbitol draws water into the cell by osmosis, eventually resulting in the collapse of the cell’s architecture.

The swelling created by excessive sorbitol accumulation can cause major tissue damage, especially in areas that are not dependent on insulin, such as the eyes, pancreas, and kidneys.

Excessive Glycosylation
A diabetic’s body binds sugar molecules to protein molecules much more frequently than is the norm for a healthy person. This process, known as glycosylation, results in abnormal protein structures, and numerous cellular dysfunctions.
How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?

A doctor diagnoses a patient with diabetes by evaluating symptoms, and administering lab tests.

The two most common lab tests are:

1. Fasting Plasma Glucose test (FPG): This test measures the amount of glucose found in the blood after an eight hour fast. A level higher than 125 mg/dl is concurrent with a diagnosis of diabetes. 
   
   
2. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): The OGTT measures blood sugar two hours after drinking a beverage that contains a large amount of glucose. If the level is higher than normal, it indicates that you have an impaired glucose tolerance, because your body has not broken down the glucose at a normal rate. A doctor diagnoses diabetes when the OGTT is above 200 mg/dl.