Saturday, March 31st, 2012 at 12:00 AM by Vonya
Diabetes is a terrible disease, considered to be incurable, and it is described as “one of the fastest growing epidemics in human history.” So when a new treatment comes on the stage, it is cause for general rejoicing.
Not much about diabetes is perfectly clear; however, a surgical procedure known as gastric bypass, originally used to treat obese patients, has been widely hailed as “more effective in treating people with Type 2 diabetes than medication alone.”
Obesity, another condition of epidemic proportions, has long been linked to diabetes. The exact relationship between the two is still being debated. One interesting consequence of the weight-loss surgery is dramatic improvements in the blood chemistry of patients following surgery, even before there is any weight loss.
There are three different surgeries being studied. In spite of the “magic bullet” nature of these procedures, there are many cautions being issued. One must recognize the serious nature of such an invasive procedure, the quality of the surgery, and the all-important aftercare. The growing popularity of weight-loss surgery means there are limited numbers of surgeons and facilities with cutting-edge offerings. At the other end of the spectrum, there are less-qualified surgeons operating out of more poorly equipped facilities with fewer offerings in the way of follow-up care.
Then there is the matter of cost. Ones does not have to be an advocate of the so-called “death panels” to realize that financial resources are not infinite. “The top 1 percent of people under 65 who have private health insurance account for more than 25 percent of health care costs, according to data from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics cited by The New York Times.”
Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act at the White House 3/24/2010
If the Affordable Care Act is still in effect in 2014, health insurance companies will likely have to take on these costly patients. That’s because they will no longer be able to turn away customers due to pre-existing conditions, age, gender, or health status.”
The intersection of all these factors means that we have to carefully examine the larger picture, whether or not it appeals to our hopes of a simple solution. We must consider something that has not had a high enough profile in the public consciousness: Type 2 diabetes is a “lifestyle disease,” and therefore the treatment must include a lifestyle component. The medical profession has identified the risk factors for diabetes, some of which are beyond our control, such as genetics. But some are very much within our control, and they’re not expensive! These include maintaining an optimum weight, eating a healthy diet, such as the largely plant-based Mediterranean diet, getting plenty of exercise, and not smoking. In addition to the obvious health benefits, a lifestyle built around these elements doesn’t have any harmful side effects. This cannot be said about any of the conventional treatments of surgery or medication.
We now know that adopting a healthy lifestyle is not solely a matter of strong willpower. Obesity has complex physiological as well as emotional components. Most individuals choosing new ways of dealing with a primal urge, such as appetite, may well need professional guidance as well as support from family and friends. Gastric surgery patients require the same aftercare.
Considering all this, no one can say that the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity promise easy solutions. But the personal and financial consequences have all the subtlety of an oncoming express train. The crisis requires a new and thoughtful approach. The most rational solution lies in the direction of enlisting health educators and, yes, the politicians, to reexamine how we are spending resources. This includes both the study and treatment of this terrible disease—a disease that will prove vulnerable to commitment and common sense.
Tags: Affordable Care Act, Affordable Healthcare, Bariatric Surgery, Diabetes, gastric bypass, health insurance, Healthcare, Obesity, pre-existing conditions, weight loss
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Affordable Healthcare, Health Care, Insurance Coverage, Preventative Medicine, US Economy.
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