Since I write about the dangers of diabetes so often, I suppose that I take it for granted that people see the disease as I do: as one of the greatest (and most easily avoidable) risks to your health.
Unfortunately, this is far from the case.
A new CDC survey reveals that most Americans are so clueless about the dangers of diabetes and the horrific impact it can have on their well being that many survey respondents actually ranked cancer, plane crashes and shark attack as health issues that they feared more than diabetes.
Yes: shark attacks. And no, I don’t get it, either.
Understandably, cancer topped the list of dreaded health issues, but statistically people are at far greater risk of developing diabetes than cancer. While 10 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with a form of diabetes, only six percent will get cancer.
According to Ann Albright of the American Diabetes Association, the sponsor of the survey, "Our point is not that people shouldn’t be concerned about cancer; we are trying to help people put things in a more accurate perspective." Here’s some perspective: stop worrying about being eaten by a shark, and start worrying about what you’re eating. You’ll probably live longer.
Taking a bite out of diabetes,