The Learning Blog

From Medpage Today:

If you’re in in your twenties and already unfit, meaning you’re not having an active lifestyle most of the time, then chances are that you’re going to be diabetic by the time you get to your forties.

This was the finding by a group of researchers from Northwestern University, Chicago, IL who analyzed health and exercise information on almost 4 thousand patients in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

Fitness for the purpose of the study was determined by a treadmill test at up to three examinations over a 20-year period.

The researchers found that those who had diabetes had a history of less fitness activities as compared to those who were not diabetics. Women had a 22% risk of developing diabetes and men had a 45% risk.

They concluded that regular physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle.

If you ask me:

Exercise is what I consider part of my so-called Three Pillars of Health. The other two pillars are: healthy diet and healthy lifestyle (no smoking, no alcohol, good rest). We cannot take out exercise from the formula of good healthy living. It is there always.

Exercise basically helps our body in many ways: it improves the health of our cardiovascular system, it enhances the circulation to our brain for better cognitive functions, it helps in depression, it improves insulin sensitivity (which, if not, is the start of diabetes),  it also boosts our immune system, and it helps in losing weight.

Although we can find diabetes in people in their 40′s and 50′s, but like heart disease, it can start as early as the teen years. Those young people may not feel anything yet, but that’s the time when the process starts and it goes on slowly and surely in time without any of us being aware of what’s happening in their body until it’s too late.

So, how can we guide these young people to a life of healthiness? Monitor their activity (exercise and sports), their diet (balanced meal) and their body-mass index or BMI (normal or overweight?). Remember, a high BMI, means a high risk of developing diabetes and other weight-related diseases such as cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.

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1. Jenny says:

   06/24/2009 at 07:02

   Pretty nice post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say
   that I have really liked reading your blog posts. In any case
   I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!
2. Why the Size of Your Waist Can Save Your Life | Truth About Diets says:

   06/24/2009 at 08:06

   [...] Unfit at 20, Diabetic at 40 [...]
3. Raphael Fernandez says:

   07/01/2009 at 00:23

   Hi!
   Thanks for the comment. I’m promising myself to post at least once a day.

   Raphael