Tag Archives: chronic illness

What does Tom Hanks have in common with Halle Berry, Drew Carey, Patti LaBell and Paula Deen? Tom is just the latest Hollywood star to disclose that he has Type 2 Diabetes. When he announced his disease on a recent David Letterman show, he said that he has had high blood sugar numbers since he was 36 (he’s now 57).

Diabetes is at epidemic levels in the U.S. and growing. A recent study found that nearly 26 million people in this country have diabetes and another 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition that places people at higher risk for … Read the rest

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The American Medical Association (AMA) recently adopted a new policy that declares obesity a disease that will require costly medical interventions to advance treatment and prevention. Over 35 percent of U.S. adults and 17 percent of children and teens are now categorized as having the “disease” of obesity – that is 78 million adults and 12 million children and adolescents –an epidemic of mind-numbing proportions.

“…labeling patients encourages a victim mentality perpetuating learned-helplessness” — Dr. Susan Wilder

While this classification promises to improve access to more interventions, I believe it will miss the mark on what is necessary to address … Read the rest

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Girl Eating AppleA recent study by the American Diabetes Association looked at the cost of health care and work-related costs associated with diabetes. This is an increasing issue for businesses as well as individuals, since both share in the costs.

The U.S. has seen a 41 percent increase in the costs associated with diabetes since 2007. That’s a huge increase! Most of that increase is a result of more people being diagnosed with the disease, not increased medical costs for each person, and that’s even scarier!

We know from other studies that excess weight is a leading contributor to diabetes, so it … Read the rest

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There may be more risks associated with obesity than you think. According to a recent poll by the Associated Press, only a few people knew a majority of the risks associated with obesity. Even scarier, about one quarter of people think it’s possible for someone to be very overweight (i.e., obese) and still be healthy!

Most people know that being obese has serious health consequences, including heart disease and diabetes. But other consequences aren’t so well known. For example, only 7 percent of people surveyed mentioned cancer, although doctors have long known that weight increases lead to higher risks of … Read the rest

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Businesses are beginning to get the message: It is in their best interest to help employees maintain a healthy lifestyle. For a growing number of workers, healthy behavior is now being encouraged by their employer.

One great way that companies are helping is by encouraging employees to get more exercise. Companies like Domino’s Pizza and General Electric are now giving employees pedometers so they can keep track of how many steps they take each day. But it doesn’t stop there. These companies are adding financial incentives too. These companies are making employees who walk a certain number of steps eligible … Read the rest

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