The functioning of our bodies depends on a number of organs that operate singly and cooperatively with other organs to achieve specific functions. For instance, the body breaks down complex substances in food into simple and absorbable forms such as sugar (glucose) which is further converted to energy (Aslin & Brown, 2004). The pancreas is an organ that secretes hormones that ensure a stable balance of sugar in the blood by regulating the amount of carbohydrate that is converted to glucose and vice versa. The pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin which is responsible for maintaining a stable equilibrium of glucose in the body by converting sugar to energy and breaking down glycogen to glucose (Korgen, 2007). Diabetic patients suffer from a lack or insufficient production of insulin by the body, or resistance of the body to insulin, or both. As such, diabetic patients are associated with high levels of sugar in their blood (United Nations, 2018).
Type 2 diabetes is a complication that is characterized by lifestyle risk factors such as obesity, overweight, insufficient physical activity, poor diet; and hereditary factors. Individuals with type 2 diabetes can manage their blood sugar levels by using insulin injections, diabetes medications, or by changing their lifestyles. More often than not, type 2 diabetes occurs in individuals aged 40 years and older (Aslin & Brown, 2004). However, the malady is increasingly becoming prevalent in groups of young people, both in Australia and across the world. According to the National Health Survey carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, approximately 1.2 million Australians aged between 2 years and above, which represents 5.1 percent of the entire population in Australia, are diagnosed with diabetes (Korgen, 2007). Out of the 1.2 million people in Australia that are diagnosed with diabetes between 2014 and 2015, 85 percent of them which represents over 1,002, 000 individuals, were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Further research indicates that the prevalence of diabetes based on self-reports nearly doubled in Australia between the years 1989 and 1990; and 2004 and 2005 (United Nations, 2018). The rates then stabilized at 4.4 percent between 2007 to 2008; and 2011 to 2012. However, between 2014 and 2015, rates increased from 4.4 percent to 5.1 percent of people with diabetes, out of which, 85 percent reported having type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is particularly prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, where, approximately 12.8 percent of individuals aged between 15 and above have returned test results that indicate that they contracted the disease between 2014 and 2015 (Massaro, 2015).
Causes of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a hereditary disorder which runs in the family blood. Hence, if one has a family member who is diabetic, they have a genetic disposition to contract the disorder (Ferguson & Brennan, 2016). However, inasmuch as an individual may have a high genetic disposition to type 2 diabetes, the risk of contracting the disease is greatly augmented if they display a number of the following modifiable lifestyle factors: poor diet, insufficient physical activity, overweight or obesity, high blood pressure, and a classic apple body shape where additional weight is carried at the waist (Francis, 2015). The risk of getting type 2 diabetes also increases when one is older, for instance, 55 years and older, because the risk increases as people advance in age. The risk also increases when one is 45 years and age and is either obese or overweight, has high blood pressure, is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, from Chinese culture, Indian subcontinent, or Pacific Island background.
Conclusion
When a patient is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, it means that their pancreas is still functioning but not as effective and efficient as it ought to be. It further implies that their bodies are developing resistance against insulin and are unable to conveniently break down and convert glucose in their blood to energy, hence; too much glucose is left circulating in the blood (Francis, 2015). The rate of type 2 diabetes has been on the increase not only in Australia but in the world because of the increasing levels of fast food, which has drawn the attention of most people (Ferguson & Brennan, 2016). The food is usually rich in glucose concentrations which have an effect of increasing the accumulation of blood sugar in the blood that in return, translates to obesity and overweight, which augment type 2 diabetes. Secondly, the lack of physical exercises impedes the proper functioning of insulin, increases one’s blood pressure, and increases the risk of heart disease. Also, people have noticed a lack of blood glucose monitoring tests to determine the concentration of their sugar levels and initiate treatment when needed, hence, facilitating the prevalence of diabetes (United Nations, 2018).
References
Aslin, H.J. & Brown,V.A. (2004). Towards Whole of Community Engagement: A practical Toolkit. Murray- Darling Basin Commission.
Ferguson, J., & Brennan, D. (2016). Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (2015). 2015–2016 Social Justice Statement. ‘For Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas’: Justice for refugees and asylum seekers. Editors: http://www.catholic.org.au
Francis, P. (2015). Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home [Encyclical].
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papafrancesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
Korgen, J. (2007). Solidarity Will Transform the World. Orbis Books, 2007.
Massaro, T. (2015). Living Justice: Catholic Social Teaching in Action (3rd edition). Faculty Book Gallery
United Nations. (2018). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.un.org/en/universaldeclaration-human-rights/
