HomebusinesshealthAwards and RecognitionbusinesshealthResourcesBlog
The Callery Group
About UsOur ServicesContact Us

The Good News and the Bad News on Diabetes
We keep hearing about a "diabetes epidemic," but there are things we can do now to improve our odds of beating the statistics

We've all seen the eye-popping statistics about the incidence of diabetes and, even more alarmingly, the rate at which it is said to be growing. The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that in 2008/9, the number of Canadians living with diabetes stood at 2.4 million, or 6.8 percent of the population. It adds that the number had risen by 70 percent over the previous 10 years – and that at least another 20 percent of cases had not yet been diagnosed.

Diabetes Canada reports much higher current numbers and makes some truly mind-blowing predictions for what it claims will be the prevalence of the condition by 2025 – it suggests over 5 million people, or 12 percent of the population, will be affected by that date.

But what does it all mean?

More on this later in the blog, but what I think it means is that we, as individuals, have a real chance to catch diabetes early, or even before it develops, and to do something about it.

Most of us who are not health care professionals still have a reasonable understanding of what diabetes is – a long-term condition in which the body can’t properly regulate levels of sugar in the bloodstream. Left untreated – or, more accurately, unmanaged – full-blown diabetes can lead to a whole range of debilitating or even fatal secondary effects including high blood pressure, circulatory problems, kidney disease, amputations, blindness, strokes and heart attacks, to name just a few.

There are two distinct types of diabetes. In what is called Type 1 Diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, the hormone that controls sugar levels; in Type 2 Diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin, or simply can’t use it properly.

Type 1, sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes, tends to show up early in life and must be treated immediately to avoid catastrophic consequences. That’s where that historic Canadian discovery – insulin and insulin therapy – comes in. Type 1 is managed by injecting carefully regulated doses of insulin, as well as by making diet and lifestyle changes. Advances in blood sugar monitoring and the technology to deliver finely calibrated dosages have greatly improved the lives of Type 1 diabetics.

But it’s Type 2 that’s responsible for most of the increase in reported numbers. From a public health point of view, not to mention the benefits management aspects, this is where the action is.

Type 2 tends to develop gradually later in life – most sufferers are of working age. For a number of reasons, including genetic predisposition and lifestyle near the top of the list, the body gradually loses its ability to use insulin properly. The condition tends to be preceded by early warning signs, such as rising blood-sugar levels, that are referred to as “prediabetes.” If ignored, these changes can lead to full-blown Type 2 Diabetes.

Prediabetes and other warning signs are now routinely diagnosed because of recent advances in medical understanding of the condition. Doctors are on the lookout for it, and standards for starting treatment have changed. At the same time – not coincidentally – several new classes of drugs have been introduced in recent years, designed to improve the body’s management of sugar levels, and to enhance the action of insulin produced in the body. We, in the benefits management business, have seen these drugs shoot up from nowhere into the top five of all prescribed medications in the last few years.

But the real news is that there are interventions that can make a difference.

The fact is that many or most people with risk factors and even prediabetes can walk back from the edge by making changes in their lifestyle and diet. This is the first, and by far the best, line of defence against Type 2. The importance of making lifestyle changes can’t be stressed too highly – and always remember that a healthy lifestyle has no drug interactions or nasty side-effects.

Here is what the experts are telling us we should be doing right now to prevent Type 2 in the long run.

Lose weight: Being significantly overweight is both a risk factor and an early warning sign of the conditions that can lead to diabetes. Losing weight and managing weight through diet and exercise are perhaps the most important step in preventing Type 2 – as well as positively impacting our overall health and wellness.

Eat better: Everything you’ve heard about a proper diet really does apply here: balanced diet, food groups, fruit and vegetables, cutting out refined sugar as much as possible, no more bingeing or yo-yo diets – it all applies.

Be more physically active: Taking up running or going to the gym a couple of times a week are great, but simpler changes can also be effective, and tend to be easier to maintain in the long term. Go for walks. Take the stairs. Avoid sitting all day. Take up a sport, ride a bike – all or any of the things those annoying Participaction ads on TV are always nagging us to do.

Think healthy: Learn to relax, manage the stress in your life, put your own health and well-being on your list of life goals, look after yourself.

Look after your blood pressure: All of the points above will go a long way in managing your blood pressure, but if your last checkup flagged your blood pressure as an issue, don’t ignore it. There are medical interventions that will help when diet and lifestyle alone aren’t enough.

Consider early medical help: As with blood pressure, if diet and lifestyle alone can’t quite do the job, your doctor now has a range of relatively new treatments that manage, slow or even prevent the development or worsening of Type 2 Diabetes.

Take charge: Don’t wait until you’re diagnosed to inform yourself, and make sure you’re covering all the bases when it comes to prevention and management. And don’t skip that medical checkup if you haven’t had one in years.

I think that the “diabetes epidemic” is really a bad-news-good-news story. The bad news is clearly that many people are struggling with blood-sugar issues. But if you had mild or severe Type 2 diabetes 40 or 50 years ago – and never mind prediabetes – you probably would never have been diagnosed. Your health would deteriorate, you might die before your time, and no one would ever have told you that changes in lifestyle could have given you a longer and healthier life. So the good news here is that the medical system is diagnosing people, often catching problems early, and is now able to offer advice and options that significantly improve patients’ quality of life.

If there is a topic that you would like me to write about, please email me at bill@penmore.com.

Copyright Notice

All rights reserved. All of the content herein is the sole property of the Callery Group, and may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system - in whole or in part - without the written permission of the Callery Group. Links to the originating article at www.callerygroup.com are permitted.

The Buzz Bits
Miscellaneous links to interesting benefits information

How has the group insurance market changed since 1977?

What you don’t know about your employee assistance program

Finance tax proposals threaten family business planning

How block chains, AI can transform pension administration

Arbitrator highlights role of disability management process in ruling in worker’s favour

Chronicling the Canadian pension system’s constant state of crisis

A creative way to use wellness credits to boost productivity

Quebec drug reform likely to fall short on promised cost savings

Employers must prepare for retirees’ ‘encore’ careers

Community Ethics, Big City Expertise

Subscribe to the Buzz Blog

Blog archive

Time To Get Ahead Of The Curve

"We've all been working from home for the last four months and now it looks like we're probably never going to go back to working in the office." It’s a statement I'm hearing every day, as more and more workplaces are discovering that working from home is working out better than anyone ever imagined. [more]

Hitting Reset On The Mindset

We can't afford to think "when this is over." We have a job to do and a chance to step up and really shine [more]

Working From Home

10 ways to communicate effectively in a working-from-home environment  [more]

Managing Paramedical Benefits

Think aboutwhy you offer paramedical benefits in order to manage them effectively  [more]

It's All About The Experience

I thought cell phone dependency was a cliche - until I lost mine far from home  [more]

What Happened When I Lost My Phone

I thought cell phone dependency was a cliche - until I lost mine far from home  [more]

"Mental Health" Doesn't Mean What it Used to Mean

We’re done admiring the problem, and it’s time to take some action  [more]

When There is No Return to Work

An Ontario court has set a limit on employers' return-to-work obligations  [more]

Rooting Out the Root Causes

When benefits fraud gets out of hand, it's a sign of big problems higher up  [more]

Four Key Gaps in Benefits Plans

Annual Sanofi survey zeros in on knowledge gaps in plan management [more]

How to Avoid Falling Through the Generation Gaps

Never mind "the older" and "the younger" generation – there are now five of them [more]

Predictive Analysis and Three Other Trends to Watch

Benefits and wellness programs are never going to be the same again [more]

Pharmacare: A Solution Looking for a Problem

Pharmacare would be such a good idea - if everybody wasn't already covered [more]

When the "Human Side" Gets Right in Your Face

A seriously injured client gives us a whole new perspective on resilience [more]

Is Virtual Health Care the New Must-Have Benefit?

In the age of the smart phone, do we really still need to line up and wait to talk to a doctor? [more]

Three Things I Learned from Doc Martin

When it comes to losing weight, there are a few basics you just can't get around [more]

Top 10 Take-Aways from a Crazy Busy Year

What we can learn from the biggest and most controversial issues we've looked at this year [more]

Engagement is the New Normal

What do employees really want from their jobs? [more]

10 Things You Need to Know about Travel Insurance

How to avoid making the mistakes that could cost you your insurance coverage [more]

How to Give First Aid for Mental Health

There's a new perspective on mental health at work, and it's a real eye-opener [more]

What Else Is In Bill 148 - And Why You Need to Know

There's a lot more to Bill 148 than minimum wage hikes and personal emergency leave [more]

The Next Big Thing in Benefits?

Major insurance providers are looking seriously at covering pharmacogenetic testing [more]

Will Cannabis Legalization Change Attitudes about Testing?

New legal limits for impairment may have a bigger impact than legalization [more]

Avoiding The Dreaded "Claim Rejected"

Benefits administrators are always caught in the middle when claims are rejected [more]

Big Data Takes On Benefits Fraud

Data analysis is starting to make a dent in many benefits fraud schemes [more]

The Chronic Pain Puzzle

Financial costs alone are higher than cancer, heart disease and HIV combined [more]

Financial Wellness: Why Money Management Counseling is Such a Good Idea

Debt counseling and money management education can make a big difference for employees [more]

The Next Big Thing: Mental Health Policy

It's time to get ahead of the curve on this one [more]

Unintended Lessons I've learned about Blogging so far

You never know what's going to happen when you click on a link [more]

Drugs, Alcohol and, Oh Yes, Marijuana

Changing times may require all of us to take a long hard look at our drug-and-alcohol policies [more]

Best Tips For Sleeping Well

If you're just not sleeping well, there are some pretty effective things you can do to make it better [more]

Survey Says: Wellness Programs Improve Overall Satisfaction

It seems that employees' satisfaction with wellness programs spills over into satisfaction with their benefits programs and their jobs in general [more]

Changes Coming to Personal Emergency Leave Laws

Amendments to the Employment Standards Act will significantly increase legally mandated employee leaves [more]

The Good News and the Bad News on Diabetes

We keep hearing about a "diabetes epidemic," but there are things we can do now to improve our odds of beating the statistics [more]

Who's Your "Broker" Working For?

In a world of brokers, agents, advisors and consultants, it's important to stay focused on who's really working for you [more]

The Secret to Really Good Workplace Wellness

Workplace wellness is a way to solve a lot of problems before they even come up [more]

Medical Marijuana - More Questions than Answers

A lack of medical consensus makes drug plan coverage of medical marijuana very difficult [more]

Pharmacogenomics Means Better Prescriptions

A simple DNA test can now help pinpoint which drugs are going to work best for you [more]

Why Airplanes Crash

What one successful CEO learned from air crash investigations – and how it all applies to managing any organization [more]

Not A Delicate Subject Anymore...

How to start the conversation about mental health in the workplace [more]

A Look Inside

There's more to this business that we usually talk about... [more]

Bio What-Now?

Get ready for "generic" biologics. [more]

What You Don't Want to Say to Your Doctor

There are some things that you want to explain to your doctor, and some things you really should stay away from. [more]

Your Dentist's Pet Peeve

Why you should know all the ins and outs of your dental insurance plan before you ever lean back in the chair and open wide [more]

About that Credit Card Travel Insurance

It may be of some value, especially if you have no pre-existing conditions, but you really need to read that fine print [more]

Right Drug, Right Time, Right Cost

Why you should work with your doctor, your pharmacist, and your drug plan to make sure you get optimal treatmenty [more]

Big Smiles

A focus on dental plans will ensure that everyone remains happy [more]

Your Doctor Doesn't Know Everything

When it comes to prescriptions, patients need to be part of the conversation [more]

Prescription for Disaster

Advances in pharmaceuticals are threatening your drug plan [more]

Sleep Easy

Conditions like sleep apnea can be treated, ensuring proper rest and productive days [more]

Easy as EAP

Formal support makes a big difference when employees face personal challenges [more]

Well Done

10 ways to develop an effective workplace wellness program [more]

Mind Matters

Businesses can't afford to ignore the mental health of their employees [more]

Brian's Story

Brian Callery is celebrating 40 years in our business. It's a commitment that makes a difference in his clients' businesses [more]

The Benefits to You

The same plans designed to protect employees will also offer advantages to employers [more]

Lawyer Up

There are legal ramifications around changing benefit plans - especially if an employee is being terminated [more]

Travel Trauma

Dream vacations can turn into nightmares when travel insurance claims are denied [more]

Evolution Solution

Evolving benefit plans will meet employee needs and support recruiting and retention efforts [more]

Plan & Predict

How rising paramedical claims, drug reforms, and other trends will affect your workplace benefits [more]

Who Benefits

Education makes the case for workplace benefit plans [more]

Season of Renewal

Important questions to ask your benefits advisor before inking a deal [more]

Preventive Measures

Paramedical services help keep employees healthy, on the job, and productive [more]

A Bounce in Their Step

Canada Rubber Group employees are embracing their new wellness program [more]

Business Benefits

Shandex Group and Indaco Manufacturing discuss the value of evolving employee benefits plans [more]

A New Mindset

Workplaces can't afford to ignore the mental health of employees [more]

Cost Cutters

10 cost-cutting strategies to protect your benefits plan [more]

Safe Travels

12 ways to protect yourself on your next vacation [more]

Breaking News

Learn from the mistakes of an AOL executive when discussing any changes to your benefits plans [more]

Watch the Gaps

Protect against turnover and lost opportunities by recognizing the generation gaps [more]

Generation Next

Generation Y represents the future of your business - and will see workplace benefits plans in a different way [more]

Absent Minded

Employers are paying the price for absenteeism, but it can be controlled [more]

Think Positive

Programs that build positive workplaces make business sense [more]

Back to School

8 important lessons your employees need to learn about benefits plans [more]

Find a Better Broker

6 questions you should ask anyone who wants to sell you a benefits plan [more]

Plan Your ROI

5 ways employee benefits plans can deliver a real Return on Investment [more]

The Benefit of Benefits

3 ways a benefits plan can improve your company's bottom line. [more]

A Healthy Dose of Information

5 questions for your pharmacist that might save your drug plan and your wallet. [more]

Claim Denied

Consider these 8 ways to avoid rejected benefit claims. [more]

Travel Planning

6 questions to ask before assuming you are protected by a group plan's travel insurance. [more]

Biologic Logic

Growing list of biologic drugs could bankrupt poorly protected drug plans. [more]

Smart Shopping

8 shopping habits that will protect your benefits plan. [more]

Tough Medicine

Employees will share more responsibilities and higher costs to sustain their benefits. [more]

Crime Costs

5 scams that could be placing your benefits plan at risk. [more]

A Prescription for Your Drug Plan

Skyrocketing drug prices may be threatening your benefits plan, but generic drugs offer a cure. [more]

Planes, Trains and Travel Insurance

The fine print in your travel insurance may leave you more exposed than you think. [more]

Healthy and Wealthy

5 steps to an employee wellness program that will generate real financial returns. [more]

Avoiding Burnout During Holiday Season

Education and Prevention can help control spiraling benefit costs. [more]

Sweat the Small Stuff

Protect your staff by avoiding these common "paperwork" mistakes by administrators. [more]



Services Personal Services Corporate Services