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Diabetics Say Long-Term Complications, Strict Diet Are Biggest Challenges of Disease
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Added: 10/26/2006
Type: Summary
Viewed: 421 time(s)
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Diabetics Say Long-Term Complications, Strict Diet Are Biggest Challenges of Disease
Worrying about long-term complications is the biggest inconvenience for those living with diabetes, followed by not being able to eat what they want, according to a new survey conducted by morefocus, an online research organization.
Thirty-one percent of the more than 2,400 people surveyed said the biggest inconvenience of living with diabetes is worrying about long-term complications. Among possible complications, blindness was the chief concern for the most people at 25 percent, while 20 percent of respondents said a heart attack was most worrisome.
Being diagnosed with diabetes almost certainly means significant changes to a person's diet, and 20 percent of those surveyed said this was the biggest inconvenience of having diabetes. Thirteen percent of respondents said having to test their blood sugar was the most inconvenient aspect of the disease.
"While a lot of people are concerned about serious, long-term medical problems for obvious reasons, it was interesting to note how many people said that food and testing was the biggest inconvenience," said Dr. Regan Carey, morefocus Research Director. "It shows that many people are thinking day-to-day about their diabetes rather than what it means for them long-term."
There are a number of different ways to treat diabetes. Of those surveyed, 62 percent take oral medication, while 30 percent have insulin injections.
Additionally, diet is typically central to managing diabetes. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they eat a nutritious diet and 53 percent also exercise to manage their diabetes. Interestingly, though, only 31 percent said they're maintaining a healthy weight. Three percent of respondents said they're not doing anything to manage their diabetes.
Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said they would be more likely to eat at a restaurant if they offered a "diabetic-friendly" menu that listed the carbohydrate, calorie, fat, sodium and cholesterol contents of their food.
"Clearly weight management is an issue with many, many diabetics," said Dr. Carey. "Even if a diabetic isn't overweight, they still have to maintain a diet so closely that food becomes a central figure in their lives. With an estimated more than 20 million people with diabetes in the United States alone, it's surprising that those in the food industry don't take more notice."
The morefocus survey was commissioned by the publication Diabetes-and-Diabetics.com. Further information and summary results of the survey are available on request from morefocus.
About morefocus
San Diego-based morefocus has developed one of the Internet's leading healthcare and lifestyle networks that is applied to reach, inform and engage consumer and professional audiences. Through a suite of proprietary applications, morefocus builds large-scale consumer panels enabling online marketers to reach micro-segmented audiences. |
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