Diabesity in the Crystal ball

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach.

Someone sent me an e-mail today with the recent diabesity stats. In less than a decade half of all Americans will have diabetes. How’s that for fun?

Diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease, arthritis, especially in the knees– these are all signposts on the road to an early demise. And yet large numbers of people are still routinely drinking pop, eating empty calories out of cereal boxes, swallowing whole bags of chips, then gaping with wide-eyed surprise when the doctor tells them they have diabetes.

Upon diagnosis Steve moaned “The doc says I have to attend a diabetes management course, and that means I’ll have to eat vegetables and fish”. Well, yes, Steve, last I checked those were items defined by the dictionary as “food”. He wanted to binge on all the pop and chips he could find in the kitchen first.
Now let’s sit down and talk, Steve.

Do you or do you not believe that you have diabetes? Do you or do you not believe that you have to lose some weight? He had complained that stairs were a real pest, especially going down. He had to hold tight onto the banisters as he could not see his feet. Then the knees would start creaking and the pain would shoot up and down the leg with each step.

Years ago the doctor had told him he’d have to lose some weight. He had maintained his ritual of home-couch- supper-couch. And while on the couch he’s downed a couple of beers. And who drinks beer without chips, or peanuts?
When Steve eventually came for coaching he had also been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.

I had, in fact, dropped a gentle hint about diabetes a couple of years before, when he started acquiring a substantial muffin-top. How big must the elephant in the room be before we acknowledge it? Well now he had to go round with a brace on each knee, and with summer upon us the knees are heating up and he has a rash on top of it.

Know anyone like Steve? I do. I met a former colleague at the movies last week. She waved to me with three fingers as she shoehorned her 190 pounds into the seat, a bag of artificially-buttered popcorn and a supersized pop in the waving hand. I went by at the end of the movie. She was in agony as she tried to yank herself out of the seat, her knees were killing her.

I have to tell you, I rest my case.

See you tomorrow. I’m going to have some blueberries. Want some?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health

Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.