Essay On Type 2 Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association (2004), type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects adults and children. It is categorized by high blood glucose levels resulting from deficiencies in insulin secretion and absorption. In type 2 diabetes, the main organ involved in the production of insulin is the pancreas. Insulin is the hormone that helps our cells to convert sugar from our food into energy. People that have type 2 diabetes are able to produce insulin, but their cells do not process it as they should. Therefore, the pancreas produces more insulin in order to compensate the lack of a cell’s absorption and eventually sugar builds up in the blood. There are many symptoms related to type 2 diabetes. Some of the most common symptoms include: increased thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, weight loss, tiredness, blurred vision, slow-healing sores or frequent infections, and areas of darkened skin (Mayo Clinic, 2017). These are symptoms that patients can easily identify and associate with type 2 diabetes. However, in some cases type 2 diabetes can be asymptomatic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017, [ CDC]) millions of children and

There are millions of adult Americans less than 65 years of age who have type 2 diabetes and it is estimated that one out of five Americans will have type 2 diabetes by 2025 (“Preventing Type 2 Diabetes in Communities Across the U.S.,” 2013). Children and adolescents also have a high incidence of type 2 diabetes. According to Perez-Escamilla and Putnik (2007a), Hispanics will become one fourth of the population in 2050 making Hispanics the largest minority group in the United States. With a growing community, Hispanics are not spared from health disparities, and one example of a health disparity Hispanics are faced with is type 2 diabetes among the Hispanic youth due to social determinants of health in their