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Show Your Doctor Says Almost everyone knows something about diabetes And a lot of what we th.nk we know isn't so. The experts have estimated that there are more than 1,-600,000 1,-600,000 known diabetics in the United States, and that here are about 1,400 000 more Americans who have diabetes and don't know it. These figures are plus untold hundreds of thousands more who may develop diabetes if they don't follow a balanced diet, keep their weight down and have periodic physical examinations by their doctors to detect early changes in how their bodies use sugar. What is diabetes? It is a disorder in which the body cannot make full use of some of the foods we eat mainly the carbohydrates, or sugars and starches. The pancreas, pan-creas, a large gland lying behind the stomach, does not make available enough insulin to turn these foods into energy or to store them for future use. DIabetef can be controlled by planned diet, exercise and, in many cases, insulin or oral medication. Well - controlled by planned diet, exercises and, in many cases, insulin or oral medication, diabetics can lead active and useful lives. Most likely candidates for diabetes are overweight persons past the age of 40, particularly those who are related re-lated t o diabetics, and especially older women. But diabetes can hit anyone at any age. Symptoms include increase in thirst, constant hunger, frequent fre-quent urination, loss of weight, itching, easy tiring, changes in vision and slow healing of cuts and scratches. |
