Over the recent decades, the number with people living with diabetes has spiked dramatically, especially those with type two diabetes. Different people have different theories as to why this is, what exactly causes it, and ways to prevent it. One thing that most people can agree on is that type two diabetes is caused by one or more poor lifestyle habits.
One study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that those who consume sugary beverages such as pop are at increased likelihood of obesity. Furthermore, it found that the more sugary beverages a person consumes in a given time period, the greater the risk of becoming obese. Later in the article it suggests that sugary beverages lead to an increased risk of type two diabetes. What many people debate is the reason for this. Some believe that consuming too much sugar causes the body to become insulin resistant. Others, however, believe that these sugary beverages lead to obesity, and that it is obesity that is the cause of type two diabetes. This study didn't dive into the difference between the two ideas, it simply stated that these sorts of beverages can cause diabetes later in life. I personally believe in the idea that sugary beverages lead to obesity, which in turn leads to the type two diabetes. I know many people who drink pop on a regular basis that are not obese and are not known to have diabetes. These individuals work out on a daily basis and have are highly physically active. While it may not be the sugary beverages alone that lead to obesity, it is a contributor to what could be a poor lifestyle.
Another article, published on NursingTimes.net, claimed that for every can of a sugary beverage consumed per day, the chance of developing type two diabetes increased by 18%. The main problem with this article is that it failed to explain how this conclusion was reached. This article was a summary of a study that was done in Europe and funded by the European Union. It stated what the research involved, but included no information on any other results or discussion of the study. Though drinking sugary beverages may lead to type two diabetes, they failed to explain how or why this could happen.
Sugary beverages, such as regular pop and juice, can sometimes be associated with a poor diet. However, this is not always the case. Some people consider pop to be their treat in what is otherwise a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. In situations like this, I believe that the effects of the sugary beverages are minimal. Not to say that they give any nutritional value, but if consumed in moderation and periodically, I do not believe that they could noticeably raise the risk of type two diabetes. However, if sugary beverages are consumed on a regular basis, and multiple times a day, it could be considered to be part of an unhealthy lifestyle. In this case, it is very possible that the beverages are aiding in the onset of type two diabetes.
By no means to I believe that sugary beverages are healthy for any individual. However, whether or not they can lead to type two diabetes is questionable. Furthermore, if they are a contributor to the disease, the way at which the aide in the process is also debatable. Regardless of if the drinks lead to obesity or simply the fact that the added sugar causes insulin resistance, it has been shown that the more sugary beverages are consumed the greater the risk for type two diabetes later in life.
Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2013). Nutrition: Concepts & Controversies (13th ed, p.151-155). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
(May 3, 2013). Sugary Soft Drinks Linked to Raised Risk of Diabetes. NursingTimes.net. Retrieved from http://www.nursingtimes.net/home/behind-the-headlines/
Qi, Q., Chu, A., Kang, J., Jensen, M., Curhan, G., Pasquale, L., Ridker, P., Hunter, D., Willett, W., Rimm, E., Chasman, D., Hu, F., Qi, L. (October 11, 2012). Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Genetic Risk of Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 367. Retrieved from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1203039
I agree with your blog post and also question if sugary beverages can lead to type 2 diabetes on their own. I can see sugary beverages leading to obesity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, but to say that sugary beverages are a direct cause of type 2 diabetes is questionable in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe two individuals I know personally who have developed type 2 diabetes have been overweight but also drank diet (zero-calorie) beverages, so they likely developed type 2 diabetes from being overweight; it had nothing to do with sugary beverages. Both studies you cited had many open questions that weren’t answered or still need to be answered about the relationship between sugary beverages and type 2 diabetes.
There are many healthy and fit individuals I know who consume regular pop but lead a lifestyle that includes physical activity and overall well-balanced diets. These individuals are extremely fit and the likelihood they develop type 2 diabetes from the consumption of regular pop is very slim.
I think the best answer for any individual is to watch his/her own sugar consumption and lead a healthy, active lifestyle with a well-balanced diet, which will decrease chances of developing type 2 diabetes. All sugar intake should be done in moderation.
I applaud your critique of this overly correlation-based type of speculation. It seems so rare that anyone health behavior could ever be specifically linked to the onset of a disease. There are certainly strong connections, but there are such a myriad of other factors, many that Kristen has already hinted at, influencing wellness outcomes related to disease. Despite this, many schools are receiving incentives for educational and nutritional efforts to eliminate sugary beverages. While conducting student teaching in the early 2000s many of the schools I rotated through were in the process of not only eliminating vending machines that distributed pop, but even juice. Recently the mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg attempted to limit the size of glasses that were used to hold sugary beverages at restaurants. I wonder if with more research or more political pressure, pop or sweetened beverage companies will have to put a label on their foods similar to the tobacco industry. In our later readings we will explore some of the influences that entrepreneurs with deep pockets have on our food system
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/11/nyc-soda-ban-appeals-state-court_n_3422596.html