The metabolic disorder that does not allow processed food to be converted into energy or growth properly is called diabetes. Our bodies use glucose, a form of sugar which our digestive system has broken down from the food we eat, which is then transported around the body via the bloodstream. Diabetes causes problems with the distribution of glucose in the bloodstream. The health risks are the direct result of a build up of glucose in the blood instead of it being carried around the body for the cells to have energy.

Two main types occur; information on both is looked at briefly here. The first type is called type one and primarily affects young people, usually called juvenile onset diabetes and is where the body completely stops the production of insulin; this means insulin must be given to the diabetic on a daily basis for them to live. Insulin is used by the body to regulate the amount of glucose the blood contains. Adult onset diabetes affects older people as the name suggests but differs from type one; it results when the body either cannot produce enough insulin or does not use the insulin it makes properly.

Those energy foods which we all need to live are pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and fruit of course. Many health conditions can be caused by long term high blood sugar levels including: poor vision, heart complaints, problems with the kidneys and in some cases even limb amputation.

Good diabetes care and management can prevent or delay the onset of these complications; some of the possible conditions will be halted completely whilst others will be delayed. Managing your condition means you must take control of certain areas of your life by ensuring you take your medication regularly; this means maintaining the correct level of blood sugar, cholesterol and blood fat along with giving up cigarettes.

In addition, weight and blood pressure will need to be routinely monitored and kept stable. Diabetes cannot be cured and once diagnosed it is a lifelong complaint; in the United States there are reports of it affecting over two and a half percent of the population.

The frightening thing is that it is estimated that at least the same number of people has this condition but just don't know it yet; over 600,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The number of Americans who have diabetes and die each year is approximately 320,000 but only 34,000 die as a direct result of having the condition.