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Diabetes is a modern-day disease that does not choose its victims. It strikes the young as well as the old. It is also incurable yet controllable. Many sufferers have it for years and yet still lead a normal life.

Diabetics are people who are suffering from diabetes. They become one when there is either too much sugar or too little in their bloodstream. Having too much sugar usually results from eating more than what their body requires, especially when the person is older and overweight. Those having this condition will experience tiredness, extreme thirst, stroke, and even coma.

On the other hand, those having too little sugar in their bloodstream are often the result of complications such as wrong medications or the body lacks the substance called chromium. Sufferers may be overcome by fatigue, dizziness, sweating and in severe cases, coma.

How does one get the disease? Sometimes, it is hereditary but more often it is from eating the wrong kind of food. Normally, carbohydrates are converted into a form of sugar called glucose. This glucose floats along the bloodstream into the pancreas. The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which activates our body cells to soak up the sugar or glucose. Once inside the cell, the glucose is either used to produce heat or energy or is kept as fat.

When a person’s pancreas produces little or no insulin, the body cells cannot function effectively to convert the glucose into heat or energy. The glucose then accumulates and is later expelled in the urine. When the level of glucose in the blood rises, the body cells “starve”. This is a severe form of diabetes and doctors call this form as Type 1. Those suffering from this type require daily injections of insulin.

Most people have what is known as Type 2. One third of diabetics require insulin to control the level of glucose in the bloodstream and another one third use medication. The rest can rely on non-medication measures such as diet, weight loss and exercise to control their ailment.

There are several simple steps diabetics can follow to control the disease. Avoid carbohydrates such as sugar because they tend to raise the glucose level quickly. Avoid too, Fizzy and carbonated drinks which contain a lot of sugar. Research shows that a can of carbonated drink contain fourteen teaspoons of sugar. Others are sweets, cream-laced cakes, and cookies.

The best preventive measure is regular exercise as it ensures the optimum body weight is maintained. Weight loss should be gradual. Hence, crash diets and instant weight loss should be discouraged as they are dangerous.

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Read the passage above and answer the questions that follow.

1. From paragraph 2, state two symptoms of the disease

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2. What does the pancreas do in the body?

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3. Name two ways how Type 2 diabetes can be controlled.

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4. From paragraph 7, what should a Type 2 diabetic avoid?

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5. From paragraph 8, how does regular exercise help?

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6. Why are crash diets not recommended for Type 2 diabetics?

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COMPLETE THE GRAPHIC ORGANISER BELOW

Definition:

REASONS FOR

THE CAUSES DIABETES HAVING DIABETES

TOO MUCH HOW TO

SUGAR CONTROL

RESULTED FROM:

TOO LITTLE

SUGAR

RESULTED FROM: