Why are many teachers developing prediabetes and type-2 diabates during the era of virtual classes?

 

This article is about a very important subject that could affect a high percentage of teachers who are presently teaching for extensive hours a day online.

I am not a doctor, I am not selling a product, or recommending a service, I am a pre-diabetic English teacher, and this article is based upon my own research to discover the changes that have affected my own health during more than a year of teaching every day online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The reason why I started investigating was that I found that my own health had slowly, and progressively started to suffer during this period of extended physical inactivity. After going to the clinic and having a medical checkup, I was shown that I had unknowingly progressed from prediabetes, a condition that I have had for about 6 years, and which is not uncommon at my age, to full type-2 diabetes. 

In addition, my own 25-year-old daughter, who is also an English teacher, started to feel unwell, tired, and mentally lethargic, and after a checkup, it was discovered that this previously healthy young woman had developed glucose levels consistent with prediabetes after more than a year of teaching in online classes.

Now you can argue "Predisposition" or "Hereditary" for my daughter, but, after making some changes to her lifestyle, specifically regarding daily exercise and diet, her prediabetes has disappeared completely proving that it was merely situational, a consequence of extended periods of inactivity.

Personally, I had always avoided this progression from occurring previously due to a very physically active life. This change was of course both dangerous and life-changing, and for this reason, I started to search, read and learn about diabetes, inactivity, the consequences, and possible solutions.

In addition,  I have heard of many teachers, including some of my friends, who after developing specific symptoms, or illnesses, were being tested and diagnosed as pre-diabetic, or even type-2 diabetic, and most of them have no family histories of diabetes, and the only changes that have occurred in their lives are extended periods physical inactivity due to teaching online.

I read that approximately 25% of existing pre-diabetics don't even know that they have the condition, and during the COVID-19, many of them have gone from pre to type 2 diabetes, a situation that could have been prevented for many people if they had maintained a higher level of physical activity in their daily lives.

Prediabetes, unlike type 1 or 2 diabetes doesn't usually have any serious signs or symptoms, it is a silent, deadly condition although most sufferers do tend to develop the initial symptom of increased weight and/or fatigue which they often put down to other contributing factors in their lives such as being busy, getting older, or of course, it's only because I'm teaching online etc.

Another possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees, and knuckles.

For people who have either knowingly, or unknowingly progressed from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, the classic signs and symptoms include:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Excess hunger
• An increasing of fatigue
• Blurred vision

During the virtual classes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, most people have had to modify, or even completely change their lifestyles, yet I think that few people actually know the true effects that prolonged inactivity can have on their short, or even long term health.

Many teachers I have spoken to have told me that whilst they have put on various amounts of weight due to inactivity, they are not overly worried because they believe that once life returns to normal, that they will just hit the gym, play football again or start jogging, and that everything will just return to normal. 

For many people, this way of thinking could prove to be a serious, and dangerous misconception as once they have crossed the line, and become either prediabetic or worsened to type 2 diabetes, that their condition could be irreversible and life-changing.

The following article which I would like to share with you not only shows that this way of thinking is not only wrong, but that it can be extremely dangerous for people with pre-existing, or who are unaware that they are at risk of contracting health conditions such as pre or type 2 diabetes.

I encourage everyone who finds themselves sitting for many hours a day to read this very important information, and if you feel that your health has suffered, or changed, to visit your doctor to have a check-up.

https://theconversation.com/type-2-diabetes-sitting-can-cause-problems-with-blood-sugar-levels-so-get-up-and-move-160391

Type 2 diabetes: sitting can cause problems with blood sugar levels, so get up and move.

Many people spend large portions of their day sitting, which can cause a range of health problems. But many may not realize that sitting too much can also worsen certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Research shows that spending too much time sitting can cause problems with blood sugar levels – making it even more important for those with type 2 diabetes to get plenty of physical activity into their day.

Type 2 diabetes causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high. For someone with diabetes, high sugar levels in the blood can cause serious damage to your body, including the heart, kidneys, eyes, feet, and nerves. Controlling blood sugar levels is important for avoiding the risk of serious health problems.

Lifestyle changes, such as adjusting diet and physical activity, and diabetes medications, such as metformin or gliptin, are used to lower blood sugar levels. Yet following recommended diets and taking diabetes medications aren’t always effective at controlling blood sugar levels, as our research found. This shows us there’s a need to re-think diabetes care and management.

As type 2 diabetes can be different for everyone, how well a person controls their blood sugar levels can be influenced by different factors, such as age, gender, activity levels, diet, and weight. This makes it important to target new, modifiable lifestyle factors – such as how much time is spent sitting.

Research we’ve done, which looked at 37 adults with type 2 diabetes, found that over two weeks, prolonged sitting was associated with high blood sugar levels. But we also found that when people stood up or walked around between periods of sitting, they had lower blood sugar levels. Other studies have also had similar results.

Our research has also shown that sitting less or breaking up periods of sitting with bouts of activity could be a simple way to manage blood sugar levels – including high sugar levels before and after breakfast, which is a common problem for people with type 2 diabetes. We found that simply walking more often could be beneficial to blood sugar control throughout the day.

In fact, walking every 15 minutes for as little as three minutes each time at a person’s usual pace could be enough to help them control their blood sugar – and could even be as effective as standard diabetes medications. Other research has shown that keeping bouts of sitting shorter than 15 minutes is better for blood sugar levels.

The reason walking – and other types of exercise – are so good for regulating blood sugar is because they make the body’s muscles work. Movement causes muscles to contract, which subsequently starts the mechanisms that allow the sugar in the blood to enter cells and fuel the body. This reduces blood sugar levels as a result.

With many people continuing to spend large portions of their days sitting while working from home, it’s important for people with type 2 diabetes to stand and walk often. Of course, that is sometimes easier said than done. But even small changes in sitting patterns throughout the day may be beneficial to a person’s blood sugar control. For example, going to the kitchen to get water or make tea can be a great opportunity to walk around for a few minutes. Even standing or walking while taking calls or during meetings can be a good idea.

It’s still important for people with type 2 diabetes to follow the advice of their doctor and stick to any special diets or take any medications they’ve been prescribed. But adding extra movement into their day will not only improve blood sugar control, it may also improve other aspects of health – including heart health and bone density.

In addition, this is a link to an extremely interesting, and useful article, please read it, it is very informative for anyone who finds themselves spending many hours a day sitting at their computer, and how it can cause pre-diabetes, or worsen pre-existing diabetes.

https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/news/news/2015/11/physical-inactivity-and-diabetes#:~:text=Physical%20inactivity%20alone%20is%20estimated,vigorous%20physical%20activity%20every%20day.

I hope that you found this article interesting and that it has encouraged you to think about your own life during the era of online classes, and your need to be more physically active.

Personally, after my investigation, and a few changes in my lifestyle, I have been able to lower my daily glucose levels back to prediabetic levels, a fact that I am extremely happy about. I didn't need to pay for any special services, I didn't need to buy any special pills or potions, I just had to make sure that I continued to eat well and increase my level of daily physical activity.

As a fellow teacher, who like you must endure long hours each day in online classes, I wish you well and I hope that you are able to maintain a healthy and productive life.

Good luck.

Below are the links to some other extremely interesting, and important articles relating to this terrible condition, and how it can affect teachers during this extended period of inactivity.

Tips for managing diabetes during quarantine and online classes
https://englishforyoutheteachersvoice.blogspot.com/2020/10/i-am-diabetic-teacher-my-tips-for.html

5 Lifestyle changes for prediabetics
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2017/05/5-lifestyle-changes-help-reverse-prediabetes/

Does physical activity reduce the risk of developing diabetes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2807936/

Obesity, inactivity and diabetes
https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/7/1599

Does physical activity modify the risk of obesity for diabetes?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2807936/

Inactivity linked to risk factors for diabetes
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823165448.htm

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