When we eat our body breaks down the food into different substances most importantly into glucose. Glucose is the simple sugar that our body uses as the main source of energy. However our bodies cannot use glucose unless there is insulin also in our bodies to help the cells absorb it. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Simply put, if our body is going to use the energy from that we eat, it must have insulin to modify it.

Diabetes occurs when insulin is insufficient to process the body's requirement for glucose. Being obese affects the way insulin works in your body. Extra fat tissue can make your body resistant to the action of insulin. Exercise helps insulin work well.
Diabetes comes in three types. Gestational diabetes and type 1 and 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes affects mothers during pregnancy and usually corrects itself following the birth of the child. There is not much we can do to prevent this type of diabetes, but thankfully is only affects a very small number of mothers.

Type 1 diabetes, is where your body makes no insulin and you must have insulin injections in order to survive. Type 1 diabetes accounts for around 10-15% of people with diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, which affect the majority, is a condition where the insulin levels whilst not non-existent, are deficient. Type 2 diabetes is what is worrying the health experts because of the significant rise in the population so affected. The condition is preventable by reduction of the risk factors. Being overweight, taking insufficient exercise and eating a poor diet all contribute to the likelihood of your getting Type 2 diabetes.

Being overweight and over 45 places you at much greater risk of developing diabetes and you definitely should get checked. If you're younger than 45 and overweight, and have a family history of diabetes, low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides or high blood pressure, then a check of your diabetes status is strongly recommended.

Diabetes and pre-diabetes can be detected by completing a fasting glucose test, or fasting blood sugar test (commonly abbreviated to FBS on your laboratory result slip). This test measures your blood glucose when you've not eaten or drunk anything for at least eight hours before. This test is also best done in the morning and can indicate that you're normal, or in a pre-diabetic state, or have diabetes.
Normal results are generally between 70-110 mg/dl. If you have elevated blood sugar levels after an overnight fast of over 140 mg/dl on at least two occasions, this indicates that you have diabetes. You may return a level of between 110 and 126 mg/dl and this result could indicate that you have impaired fasting blood glucose function, and are at risk of getting diabetes in the future. Your doctor would most likely wish to check your fasting blood sugar again, as impaired fasting blood glucose levels is a significant risk factor which requires monitoring and possible treatment.

Completing a fasting blood sugar test is a simple and relatively cheap procedure, with most places in Phuket performing the laboratory check for less than 200 baht. If you have elevated blood sugar levels, increasing exercise and losing weight can make a great contribution in assisting your levels to return to normal. Get your blood glucose level checked and put it on the annual list of 'things to do' for your body.

Peter Davison is the Manager International Services
at Phuket International Hospital.
Tel: +66 (0)76 249400. Email: info@phuketinternationalhospital.com.