Living With Diabetes: Ways to Prevent Diabetes

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According to the Department of Health and Human Services, diabetes is one of the most common health threats facing this country today. But type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease can often be prevented by simple lifestyle changes. Not knowing the warning signs that harm your health for life.

Ron Caporale:’s chief medical officer, Dr. Ed Geehr is here in our Los Angeles studios to help explain how to keep yourself diabetes free. Ed, good to see you as always. So let’s start with the basics. type 1 and type 2 diabetes. What are they?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune disease that means the pancreas that makes the insulin was attacked by your immune system and is unable to make more insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is typically a response to obesity, where you’re still making insulin, but the insulin isn’t working effectively at the cell level.
Ron Caporale: Why is type 2 more common?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Type 2 is more common because of the obesity epidemic in the country. So the combination of obesity and inactivity sets you up for type 2 diabetes.

Ron Caporale: What are the symptoms of each?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Well the symptoms of most diabetes are thirst, excess urination, fatigue, maybe some blurry vision. That’s common for both types of diabetes.

Ron Caporale: Can type 2 diabetes be cured?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Type 2 diabetes can be cured, some can be cured simply by losing of weight, getting on a regular diet and exercise routine. They can completely get rid of their diabetes. Not all diabetics, type 2 diabetics respond as well to weight loss.

Ron Caporale: Type 1 can’t be cured though? It’s something that has to be managed with insulin and so forth?

Ed Geehr M.D.: That’s right. Once the pancreas loses the ability to make insulin, it can’t be restored.

Ron Caporale: So who’s more at risk for, start with type one. Who’s more at risk for that?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Well type 1 diabetes seems to be a universal problem. So it effects all races, all genders, and typically, it’s early in life. So hits youths as early as five or six years old. And typically though, in teenagers.

Ron Caporale: And what about type 2?

Ed Geehr M.D.: There are some ethnic groups that are predisposed. For example, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders are all predisposed. I mentioned that people who are obese or inactive will increase their ability of getting type 2 diabetes as well.

Ron Caporale: Children can get type 2 as well, correct?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Unfortunately, it’s become a disease of younger years. It didn’t used to be, but now, because we have so much obesity amongst our youths, they are too, experiencing type 2 diabetes.

Ron Caporale: Now, should you get tested for type 2 diabetes? How is it detected? Take me through someone who first gets diagnosed. How do they find out?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Well usually it’s picked up if you have a series of symptoms. As I said, thirst or frequency of urine. Classic symptoms. But it also might be picked up on a blood test. So when you get your annual physical examination, typically they will measure blood sugar levels. And if it’s elevated, they will want to do some additional testing.

Ron Caporale: Any other tips on prevention that we should all focus on?

Ed Geehr M.D.: Well for type 1, there’s not much you can do about that. But for type 2, keep a normal weight, regular exercise routine and a healthy diet and you’re very unlikely to get type 2 diabetes.

Ron Caporale: Of course if you were to get that annual check up and get the blood work done and so forth, and before you make any changes to your health regimen based on this or anything else, check in with your doctor?

Ed Geehr M.D.: That’s correct.

Ron Caporale: Alright. Thanks again as always. For more information on diabetes, visit our diabetes health center at On the next installment of Living With Diabetes, we’ll find out how to know when you’re pre-diabetic. From Los Angeles, I’m Ron Caporale.


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