Kids and Diabetes
Let's cure this.

Most Skinny Daily Post readers know that my final weight loss push began a few years ago, in the examining room of an endocrinologist, who described me as being the perfect candidate to pose for a Syndrome X poster. Syndrome X, or metabolic resistance, is a precursor to Type II Diabetes.

At the time, I thought, "So, I'll take a pill." And then I looked into the disease. I soon decided I would do almost anything to avoid diabetes.

That was the first time anyone ever suggested the possibility of diabetes to anyone in my family. I didn't want to be the reason that my nephews and nieces and their kids would have to answer yes to the diabetes question in their various family health history quizzes. Oh, and I didn't want to suffer for a really long time, either.

Controlling the disease is doable, certainly, but it requires diligence, discipline, dedication. And I'm not really very good at any of those things.

I have dodged diabetes, so far, by getting my weight under control, learning to eat differently, and exercising regularly. But some of us are not so lucky.

And in particular a lot of kids who inherit Type I Diabetes, or nowadays develop Type II Diabetes at a very early age, are not so lucky. Diabetes ages a kid a little too quickly. We need to find a way to cure this disease and/or make life more carefree for these little guys, and of course for adults, too.

Here's the deal: I haven't asked much from Skinny Daily Readers, but I'll make this exception: If you like what I'm doing here, and want to support this effort in some way, then consider supporting my newly adopted cause, fighting diabetes, and juvenile diabetes in particular.

At the end of this month, I'll be running (jogging, wogging, limping) 13.1 miles in the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon. This is not likely to happen again in my lifetime. Trust me on this. I was not built to run. So I thought I'd at least run for a reason. For this event, I will be jogging to support the Canadian Diabetes Association. If you could spare some change to sponsor me in my run, follow the first link below.

If you can't make up your mind that quickly, but decide you wish to to support Skinny Daily at a later date, find the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's JDRF.org link in the right column of the site. A little bit of research money goes a long way.

Or take your own walk, run, ride, to raise funds for these organizations.

If you're overweight or obese, you are at increased risk of developing Type II diabetes yourself. Giving to find a cure is very much in your own interest.

Let's cure it. Let's help.

JuJu


Support JuJu's jog for the Canadian Diabetes Association Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon
The Canadian Diabetes Association
Wake up: the complications of diabetes
Helping the kids you know who have diabetes

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