Let’s paint a picture of an average Indian male: Vishal is in his 20s or early 30s and killing it at his work, handing out with friends, celebrating weekends, taking holidays, and enjoying every moment. However, suddenly the notorious villain named Diabetes sneaks into his life and starts threatening him. Well, unfortunately, it’s not just the story of Vishal but many other youngsters around the globe who’ve been suffering from type 2 diabetes from a young age.
As per a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released in 2018, the average range of age for a man/woman to get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes was between 45 to 64 years. However, nowadays, the age bar has gone below and young people in their 20s and 30s are falling prey to this health condition.
Why is diabetes targeting youngsters?
Apart from the hereditary issues, a lot of new cases of diabetes in youth have a lot to do with their lifestyle. Sadly, under the guise of seeking pleasures from modern and comfortable living, people in their working age are embracing the couch-potato (sedentary) lifestyle. This tends to drastically transform into a serious diabetes dynamo staging a high risk of health crisis.
Emotional eating, Netflix and chill, and binge-watching are some of the common Gen Z terms that have become a habit for the new generation. These vaguely talk about how individuals’ active lives have transformed into rather sedentary ones. Having junk food at odd hours, going days without working out, and being under extreme stress are some of the factors that lead to diabetes in youth.
What are the ways to battle the risk of diabetes in youngsters?
Now that you have an idea about the villain, let’s get our hands on the weapons. Here we are with a few easy ways to inculcate in your life and prevent the risk of diabetes
Say bye-bye to excess sugar and unhealthy snacks
Fast food joints and cafes are not leaving any stone unturned to lure people of all age groups, especially young adults. As a result, a lot of them are at high risk of type 2 diabetes. Junk food has a high amount of added sugar, oil, and other unhealthy ingredients which although promise momentary delight can mess up your insulin resistance.
For the unversed, insulin is a hormone that helps regulate the blood sugar levels in your body and if there occurs a dysfunction in the production it may lead to health hazards like impaired glucose regulation, obesity, diabetes, and more.
Consider having some interesting snacking options like veggies with guacamole, puffed rice, makhanas, poha, fruits, etc.
Don’t be a couch potato
This may sound like your mom but seriously leave your couch for some time and get going. This is because not moving and lying all day in the same place can seriously affect your body. It can simply affect your metabolism and energy levels including mental health. As per a study published in the HHS Public Access journal, a sedentary lifestyle is key to the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, if you’re a working professional just try working out wherever you are. Even if you’re at work, figure out some easy chair and desk exercises that are easily available online. Also, take a break and have a walk of 5 minutes after every 20-25 minutes.
Bid adieu to stress
An endless pursuit to perform at work for success and money creates stress regularly that can weaken the immunity against diabetes. Your body releases certain hormones in response to excessive stress which tends to increase the blood sugar levels of your body. A report published in the journal Cureus suggests that undergoing constant stress can lead to diabetes.
Some of the best ways to bid adieu to stress are to scoop out time for friends and family, laugh as much as possible, increase social interaction, and schedule your workouts.
You’ll lose if you don’t snooze
A good night’s sleep plays an important role in managing stress and energy levels. However, unfortunately, youngsters prefer pushing their sleep timings for leisure. This has given rise to a new term called ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’ which means compromising your sleep to enjoy ‘me’ time. Yes, we aren’t kidding.
After having a busy schedule throughout the day, a lot of working professionals and students tend to snatch some time at night and voluntarily delay sleeping to have fun by either watching content online or scrolling through social media. Certain hormones secreted by your body help you stay awake, and it leads to excessive glucose in your blood which eventually puts you at the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Hence, try to balance your work and personal life in such a way that you’re able to say goodnight on time.