Strike the Perfect Balance

If you want to prevent diabetes and atherosclerosis, there is only one simple way to do it. Aside from physical exercise and the adoption of a non-smoking lifestyle, well, YOU SHOULD EAT LESS FAT!

Like in many conditions, prevention is always the biggest and most effective way to ensure the health of the people. And with the rise in the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, doctors would always advocate the importance of prevention. With diabetes being one of the more commonly seen endocrinologic problems, doctors have exhorted patients and caregivers alike to be very watchful of their condition. Diabetes management requires striking the perfect balance - the slightest tip of the scale may mean danger to the patient. This is true whether in Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Another endocrinologic problem is goiter, and its companion iodine deficiency disorder. One out of every ten Filipinos suffer from generalized or localized thyroid enlargement, making the Philippines goiter endemic. Other goiter endemic places in the world are Belgium, Italy, Nepal, Western China and Zaire.

In the country, iodine deficiency disorder has been observed to be most prevalent in the Cordillera region. This though does not spare the rest of the country from the dangers of IDD. For example, most children in the six-to-12 age range in all the regions of the country suffer from mild to severe IDD.