ABILENE, Texas — This November, during American Diabetes Month, experts are informing the public of important warning signs that often go undetected. One educator is sounding the alarm on the growing number of U.S. residents living with early-stage symptoms of diabetes.
November is American Diabetes Month (KTXS/Briannagh Dennehy).
Tyler Maylone serves as a diabetes educator at Hendrick Diabetes Center. According to Maylone, prediabetes affects a much larger portion of the U.S. population than most might assume.
“A real problem that we’re kind of facing is that about 50 percent of the population, roughly, has prediabetes.”
Tyler Maylone shared that approximately half of the U.S. population is living with prediabetes (KTXS/Briannagh Dennehy).
While a prediabetes diagnosis may serve as a scary warning sign, it also provides patients with a chance to alter the course of their health trajectory before diabetes develops.
“It is a possibly preventable stage where maybe you won’t develop type 2 diabetes if you can put in some work,” Maylone said. “If you do have a weight issue, losing a little bit of weight is going to benefit you.”
Consuming smaller portions is highly effective in improving blood sugar control in people with prediabetes{ }(KTXS/Briannagh Dennehy).
Maylone explained why consuming smaller portions is highly effective in improving blood sugar control in people with prediabetes.
“We do need to understand what a portion size looks like and how many portions each individual should be consuming,” he said. “Carbohydrates are not your enemy. Sugar is not technically your enemy, but you are trying to watch your portions and you are trying to choose better options.”
