As November comes to a close and the bustle of the holidays begin, it becomes difficult to focus on the other importances of this past month. 

Since the year 1975, November has been dubbed as the National Diabetes Awareness month.  The CDC defines diabetes as “a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.” Furthermore, people who suffer from diabetes cannot regulate insulin levels without the help of a medicine, and a constant tracking of blood sugar. 

In the US alone, 32.4 million people suffer from diabetes, which translates to over 10% of the population.

There are also two types of diabetes. 

Type 1 diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune reaction that stops your body from dreaming its own insulin. This form of diabetes is usually diagnosed in children, and it is thought to happen unprovoked. 

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the diabetes, with 95% of people with diabetes suffering from type 2, and is mostly found in adults. Type 2 is a direct result of living an unhealthy lifestyle. Simple lifestyle changes such as regularly exercising, eating healthy, and healthy weight loss can prevent being diagnosed. 

Junior Madison Rodriguez was diagnosed with type 2 when she was 8 years old, and ever since then life for her has been very different.

“While diabetes has made my life more complicated, I see it as a blessing because becauseI was diagnosed, I now want to study medicine in hopes of finding a cure and helping others like me,” said Rodriguez. 

The LATINX community is the most susceptible to acquiring Type 2 diabetes overtime, and with this community making up the majority of our student body and staff, it is important that each and every one of us focus on living a healthy lifestyle. 

Starting now, take initiative and the lifestyle choices that you partake in that are unhealthy, thus placing you at risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes. 

A cure is yet to be discovered but scientists are avidly working towards one so that everyone who suffers from this condition can one day live a healthy and happy lifestyle without having to constantly worry about their blood sugar levels.