sHoppeA846 posted on September 09, 2009
Imagine eating a cheeseburger slathered with ketchup and mustard, topped with juicy pickles, fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes and onions atop a fresh bun with grease soaked French fries on the side, and washing it all down with your favorite flavored shake. Eating this food every so often is one thing, but when it is every day that you are putting that much fat in your body it can have an effect on your health, especially when it is being devoured several times a day.
According to the weightlosscenter.net , on average, a teen male or female weighing anywhere from 132 to 165-pounds should consume around 2050 to 2900 calories a day, keeping in mind they have all 6 food groups worked into every meal and are drinking an adequate amount of water each day and following an active lifestyle. Unfortunately, this is not the case for most teenagers. On average, 16 to 33 percent of all adolescent’s are obese in the United States, and in many of those cases, they end up with a disease called diabetes.
Many teens, even if they are overweight, do not thing that this disease has anything to do with them. But, what about the overweight kid who sits next to you in your math class that has been the butt of a few of your fat jokes? It can happen to anyone at any age if the right steps are not taken to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There are students at Benson with diabetes; some cases are preventable while others are not. These students may not always be detectable but they are living with a life altering disease that is affecting their lives, if not on the outside, on the inside.
“I felt down, I struck rock bottom,” said sophomore Trevon Nelson, who was diagnosed as a freshman with Type 1 diabetes.
The WIC says Type 1 diabetes which is unpreventable, can occur through genetic predisposition, environmental exposure, or an autoimmune reaction where beta-cells that produce insulin in the pancreas are destroyed. All though this disease is not preventable and is not as dangerous as Type 2 diabetes, it can still be fatal and should be treated with care. The treatments for this disease include insulin by injection with syringes or pumps, diet and exercise.
Type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is common among the obese but can occur through genetic predisposition and environmental exposure. This type of diabetes is preventable through living a healthy and active lifestyle.
Perry, who was diagnosed with diabetes in the middle of his 8th grade year, has had a hard time adjusting to the lifestyle he now has to live to stay healthy. However, he feels it does not limit him in the forms of social and active will being. Perry is a JV foot ball player and feels secure in the lady department.
“I still get the honeys,” Perry joked.
Even if it has not affected Perry on the outside, it still scares him to know this disease can shorten his life and most likely will. It can be a scary thought to know at a young age that you could have prevented your death, but always a good thought to know you can help others change or keep living a healthy lifestyle.
“Eat the right foods, stay with the healthy foods not larger portions, get out and get active,” said Perry.
Valuable advice, stay healthy, eat right and get active to prevent disease. It can happen to your best friend, your siblings or even you.
Story by: Elizabeth Perkins.