I need the Straight Dope on adult-onset diabetes.

My father was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s on one of the drugs now and has to watch his diet.

I’ve looked at some medical sources and gained a good impression of this disease. As a result, I’m not looking for very technical answers (though if someone could fill in the gaps in my knowledge, that would be appreciated.)

I’m more concerned with the everyday-living questions. What kind of diet is he supposed to be sticking to? What kind of potential emergencies could come up, and what should I do? How is this going to affect his health later on in life? Is there any way I can help him?

Also, am I destined to follow in his genetic footsteps? I’ve read a little that says proper diet and exercise can postpone the inevitable. Does anyone know about this?

Some info:

Type II Diabetes increases the instance of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, blindness, among other nasty things if not properly controlled. That’s the bad news.

Good news is that many people can control it well enough that they can eventually go off their medication just my diet and exercise - not all, however.

Diet should be about what you think - low fat, low sugar, fresh foods, etc, etc. Your dad’s doc should give you specific information. Exercise is also very important - if your dad has never done anything, he should talk to his doc first, and then consider a walking program - walking everyday. It’s cheap, low impact, easy and enjoyable for many people.

Assuming your dad is careful with his diet, he shouldn’t have emergencies. That being said, sometimes shit happens. If his blood sugar gets too low or too high he could have serious problems (fainting, etc.). He should be provided with (at least in Canada) a blood glucose monitor so he can check himself regularly.

As for you - eat well, exercise, keep your weight down. There is certainly a genetic component to Type II, but you can not only postpone the inevitable - you can probably prevent it outright if you take care of yourself. Talk to your doc for diet and exercise ideas that will work for you.

Good luck.

Alice

Not instance - incidence.

Sorry. It’s late. It’s friday. I’m a dumb-dumb.

As far as diet is concerned, he has to cut down on carbs. I’ve been on the Atkins diet 11 months now (I’m now on the “maintenance” level, and it’s not that bad). In addition to losing weight, my blood glucose is now normal, my blood pressure is now normal, and my cholesteral is less than half what it used to be. If he doesn’t need to lose weight, simply reducing carbs (especially sugar) will help a lot.

Exercise is essential, especially aerobics, plus a moderate amount of weight training.

Medications: take them religiously.

The important thing to know is that diabetes affects everything, especially cardiovascular disease and certain organs. But with the right lifestyle changes, someone with type 2 diabetes can live a long, normal life. My mother has type 2, and she is now 90 years old.

As far as you yourself are concerned, there’s no way to know whether you’ve inherited a predisposition for diabetes (I did but my brother didn’t). Just eat right and exercise, which is what you should do anyway.

An earlier thread on this subject:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=145196

TIME Magazine’s cover story this week is on diabetes - you might find it helpful.

The very best place to get information about diabetes is the Diabetes & Hypoglycemia Forum on CompuServe. As a Type II diabetic myself, I recommend them wholeheartedly.

http://forums.compuserve.com/vlforums/default.asp?SRV=diabetesforum

or

http://go.compuserve.com/diabetesforum

IANAD, but:

He’ll have to do a bit of experimenting with food to see what works for him. My mom was diagnosed Type 2 last year. She can get away with some foods that you’d think would be blacklisted for a diabetic, and then there are seemingly benign foods that will shoot her sugar right up.

If your dad doesn’t exercise, this would be a good time to start. If he’s overweight there’s a chance that if he dumps the weight the diabetes would go away completely. If his weight is fine, the exercise will help burn off sugar and keep him stable. Even a 20 minute stroll on the treadmill every day will do wonders.

And YOU need to exercise, too, and dump some pounds if you need to. If you take care of yourself there’s really no reason to expect to become diabetic.

Thank you, everyone, for the advice and the resources. I just want to be as prepared as possible.

I am in good physical shape now. This gives me an excellent reason to stay that way.

Again, thank you all.
May the all-knowing disembodied head of Cecil watch over you.
:slight_smile:

My aunt is Type 2 diabetic, but it was caught fairly early and she can control her diabetes with simple dieting and exercise. She has obtained a couple of good cookbooks that are aimed at diabetics, listing the average glucose contents in various portions of common foods, so for the most part, she can enjoy pretty much anything she’d like, in moderate amounts. I’m talking about things like a veggie pasta, or even a chocolate cake, in small portions. There are plenty of cookbooks aimed at this disease, and it might be a good idea to get some for your dad and for yourself, so you know what you can serve and what you can’t, if you ever cook for him. The one thing she says she misses the most is beer - she can take a small splurge on pretty much anything else once in a long while, but no beer.

I’m not a diabetic but I’m a low-carber, so here’s two hints for your Dad:

Check out the Glycemic Index Web site to compare the glycemic index of many (if not all) foods. That will show you exactly how foods relate to bloodsugar levels.

Also it’s important to “mix” foods - don’t just eat a slice of bread, eat it with some natural peanut butter to give you fat and protein and balance out the nutrients you’re giving your body. A piece of bread can send insulin levels higher but you can level them out with the fat and protein content.

Check out the following site for information about Type II:

http://www.diabeticgourment.com

I have been diagnosed Type II for about three years. I have been controlling the disease with diet, exercise and medication. My average blood sugars for the past 18 months has been in the non-diabetic range. It takes motivation and some work but it is possible to control. You have to be responsible for your own control. If you go to the above web site and click on Communities and Type II you can get a great deal of useful information from people who have been through the process of controlling their illness. I have received a great deal of support and knowledge from these folks.