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A new study suggests that suffering from loneliness is common for young adults between the ages of 18-24. Even young and active adults can feel isolated.
Data from 1200 participants revealed that at least 20% felt “left out,” lonely or isolated at times and provided low ratings for mental and physical health.
Loneliness was more commonly reported in adults younger than 25 with 30%, where only 11% of adults 65 and older reported similar feelings.
The “Loneliness Epidemic” has been highlighted by many studies and supported by numerous researchers. “Last year, a study of more than 20,000 U.S. adults found that nearly half felt lonely at least sometimes. And only 53 percent said they had meaningful face-to-face interactions everyday.”
Researchers believe this is no longer just a social issue and should be considered a public health issue. Chronic loneliness is linked to an increased risk of hyptertension, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and other mental health issues.
“It’s possible the relationship goes in “both directions” — with loneliness and health issues feeding each other.”
The lead researcher on the study, Dr. Rebecca Mullen, talks about the difference between being lonely and having “alone time.” Alone time in many cases can be healthy and many people are happy to be alone.
“Subjective loneliness is different. It makes people feel bad. And, Maddux said, that can come with a “whole package” of issues, like poor diet, poor sleep and time spent on the couch instead of being physically active.”
Maddux dives into theories as to why a typically socially active group, ages 18 – 24, would be suffering from loneliness. In the age of smartphones, Maddux believes this may be robbing young people of face to face interactions. A number of studies support this theory stating that screen time is directly correlated with depression and loneliness.
“Young people, she added, may have a harder time keeping those social media experiences in perspective — and understanding that when other people post, they are probably trying to present their lives in the shiniest terms possible.”
It is important to address your own feelings of loneliness, but also recognize the signs in others. It is easy for someone to isolate themselves. Maddux hopes to destigmatize the issue in order to shed some light on the importance of mental health and community.
To learn more: 1 in 3 Young Adults Suffers From Loneliness in the U.S. – HealthyDay
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]A new study suggests that the most important benchmark for life longevity may be staying active and keeping fit.
The study tested 6500 people over the age of 70 by measuring their exercise limits on a treadmill or biking machine. Participants were tracked for 10 years, with 39% passing away by the end of the study.
Researchers found the participants who were active and fit, were twice as likely to be alive a decade later.
Participants with no risk factors had about the same chance of dying as those with three or more risk factors, according to the study, though researchers only found an association between fitness and life span.
“We found fitness is an extremely strong risk predictor of survival in the older age group — that is, regardless of whether you are otherwise healthy or have cardiovascular risk factors, being more fit means you’re more likely to live longer than someone who is less fit,” said lead author Dr. Seamus Whelton.
Researchers stress the importance of staying fit. Fitness can be measured using a treadmill or a biking machine. However, educators can also assess fitness by a self-report of a person’s physical activities as well.
The researchers believe that participants who are sedentary would benefit from beginning a routine of short exercises, but encourage movement newbies to check with their provider first.
To learn more: Study Urges Seniors to Get Moving to Live Longer – HealthyDay.
See our Exercise Resource Page for a bunch of wonderful handouts and movement ideas.
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Tracey Brown, keynote speaker and CEO of the American Diabetes Association, inspired, informed and wowed us with her presentation. She coached attendees to use storytelling infused with authenticity to help create and build memorable connections. These connections can be the spark for creating meaningful relationships and moving change forward. When we use storytelling that is authentic, even when our message is persuasive, our chance of success increases.
As diabetes educators, a central tenant of our profession is teaching colleagues and people living with diabetes about self-management strategies and health improvement. We meet with providers and community leaders to encourage them to refer participants to our education programs. We share healthy lifestyle strategies with family and friends.
During these various teaching opportunities, do we try to get our message across by reciting a myriad of facts and figures to try and convince others to change, refer to our program, or get active? I know that I have used this strategy, with limited success. Might we have better outcomes by using an ancient strategy, that not only appeals to the brain but also the emotions?
The first step is learning how to tell a good story. A story that resonates with the listener.
During your storytelling, keep your “why” authentic and frame your “ask” as something bigger than what you can offer. Make sure to tune into and acknowledge your audiences’ beliefs and disbelief.
Focus on meeting people where they are. We don’t have to use fancy language and tons of facts and figures to make an impression. We need to keep it real while engaging the listener.
Thank you Ms. Brown for sharing your story and inspiring us to use storytelling to help inspire providers, colleagues, people living with diabetes and leaders that influence access and funding for diabetes care.
If you couldn’t make the Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference this May (which was completely magical), we have great news. We will be holding a Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference on December 6, 2019 in Tampa, Florida.
Enjoy a day of networking with other amazing women and end your weekend in Safety Harbor’s spa. Enjoy complimentary steam rooms, sauna, whirlpools, and tennis courts. Fun for the whole family!
Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. We post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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A study published in Gut, an international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, revealed that a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat can lead to a detrimental shift in a person’s gut microbiome. Duo Li, PhD of the Institute of Nutrition and Health at Qingdao University in China, believes this study is particularly important to countries becoming more westernized.
“Evidence has shown that humans gut microbiota diversity and richness are reduced with consumption of high-fat diets compared with more traditional diets with a higher proportions of carbohydrates. Such diet-induced ‘dysbiosis’ in gut-associated microbial communities has been postulated as a major trigger of metabolic impairments associated with obesity.”
During the study, 217 healthy young adults were assigned to one of three isocaloric diets, low-fat, moderate-fat, and high-fat. Then changes in the participant’s gut bacteria and inflammatory triggers were observed.
The aim of the study was to examine whether a low-fat diet or
“Li and colleagues found that the higher-fat diet was associated with changes to long-chain fatty acid metabolism, which resulted in higher levels of chemicals that could potentially trigger inflammation.”
Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, CNSC believes that the study is quite limited but shed light on an interesting observation for a younger population and fat intake.
“I will continue to recommend the Mediterranean-style eating pattern, which has been associated with favorable changes in the microbiota and metabolome as well as positive effects on health and wellness. A Mediterranean diet is rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, olive oil (high in omega 3 fatty acids), and encourages moderate to low intake of fish, dairy, and meat,” Issokson said.
To learn more: High-fat diet linked to unfavorable gut microbiota changes – Healio
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Novo Nordisk announced, liraglutide (Victoza) has been approved for young people with Type 2 diabetes between the ages of 10-17 years old.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the medication for children that was previously only approved for adults.
“As the first glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist approved for children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes, liraglutide (Victoza) provides this population with a new treatment option beyond metformin and insulin for the first time in 19 years.”
With the increasing rates of Type 2 diabetes in children, this offers clinicians a new treatment option outside of metformin and insulin.
“Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, normally occurring in people 45 years or older, but its prevalence among the younger population has climbed dramatically over the past 20 years.”
Type 2 diabetes, which was once considered a rare condition in the pediatric population, now accounts for about 15% to 45% of all newly diagnosed cases of diabetes in children and teenagers.
The approval of liraglutide (Victoza) could help considerably with the treatment of Type 2 in children.
Original Article: FDA approves Victoza® for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents aged 10-17 years – Novo Nordisk
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. We post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
Join us for the new Boot Camp Series, beginning July 1, 2019 to include changes to CDCES content outline.
The Diabetes Educator Online Boot Camp offers eight courses, plus a bonus course, “The Big Finish” Test Taking Boot Camp, for a total of 12.75 CEs.
You can also download our free CDCES Coach App!
A new meta-analysis of clinical trials has concluded that healthy eating can “significantly” reduce symptoms of depression. Many scientists have noted a strong correlation between poor diet and mental health. The origins of mental health issues are quite complex, however some scientists have suggested that “diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology.”
In order to study the link between improving health and easing mental health symptoms, scientists examined data from over 46,000 people. The conclusions were substantial, “the analysis revealed that every kind of dietary improvement “significantly reduced depressive symptoms.” However, the dietary changes did not affect anxiety.”
Another interesting take-away was that highly-specific or specialized diets may be unnecessary for the average individual, that just making simple changes can have a big impact. “In particular, eating more nutrient-dense meals which are high in fiber and vegetables, while cutting back on fast foods and refined sugars appears to be sufficient for avoiding the potentially negative psychological effects of a ‘junk food’ diet,” said Dr. Joseph Firth.
Another study found another strong factor to reducing symptoms of depression is to incorporate exercise. Research revealed that this impacted women more than men.
Eating healthy can help reduce the risk of obesity, inflammation and fatigue all of which are closely linked to poor mental health.
To learn more: A diet rich in fiber and vegetables can relieve depression – Medical News Today
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Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference
Date: December 6th, 2019
Location: Tampa, FL
Our first Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference was such a huge success, we wanted to share our vision with the East Coast. We have decided to hold another conference on December 6th, 2019 in Tampa Florida!
Speakers include Tracey Brown, Nicole Johnson, Beverly Thomassian, Theresa Garnero and more!
Be the first to know! Please click below to sign up for early notification. Registration will be open shortly.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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