Diabetics are hitting the snooze button on their nutritional wake-up alarm

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You’d think being diagnosed with a chronic condition would be a wake-up call for most people.

That doesn’t seem to be the case with those who have Type 2 diabetes. The disease, which influences how the body metabolizes glucose, can cause fatigue, dehydration, and as it progresses, hardening of the arteries, leading to heart attack and stroke. While medication is often prescribed for the disease, diet and exercise play key roles in controlling it. Yet many people haven’t exactly adhered to that message.

A new study shows that people with Type 2 diabetes consume far too much fat and sodium and far too few fruits, vegetables, dairy products and grains. Researchers examined surveys measuring food and nutrient intake completed by 2,757 participants in the Look AHEAD trial, which is analyzing the effects of a lifestyle intervention versus diabetes support and education for long-term cardiovascular health.

Survey results revealed that a hefty 93% of participants got more than the recommended percentage of daily calories from fat, 85% topped the recommendations for saturated fat, and 92% got too much sodium. Overall, diets provided 44% of calories from carbohydrates, 40% from fat, and 17% from protein. Diets also lagged behind in the recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, dairy and grains.

Although one might assume that those who had been dealing with the disease for a longer time might have better diets, that wasn’t the case. In the study, the authors wrote, ‘All of these participants would benefit from counseling to encourage consumption of high fiber, low-fat grains, low-fat dairy, and guidance to select leaner cuts of meat. In addition, counseling to reduce consumption of discretionary calories would improve the likelihood of meeting fat and cholesterol intake guidelines and improve the overall quality of foods consumed.’

The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Assn.

-- Jeannine Stein