May 24, 2001
Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from Laredo, Texas, USA:
I eat about 60 grams of sugar a day, I am Hispanic, and no one in my family has diabetes. Can I get diabetes because of high sugar consumption?
Answer:
You cannot give yourself diabetes by eating too much sugar. That is a myth. What can happen, however, is that you are at risk of diabetes due to your genetics (Hispanics have a higher rate of diabetes), gaining weight, and not exercising can put you at higher risk as you get older. As our lifestyles have changed and we do not get as much activity as our ancestors, more families are having diabetes when they did not have it before.
Your best defense against diabetes, and it is advice for us all, is to become more active on a daily basis. That is the biggest change over the years. Life has become easier with the invention of dishwashers, washing machines and clothes dryers, along with packaged foods and fast food.
KS
