Persuasive Speech Outline

Did you know that roughly 26 million out of 317 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes? That’s a whopping 8% of the American population. Not to mention another 79 million people are characterized as being prediabetic. I just so happen to be one of those 79 million. Americans, as a whole, need to become proactive in the prevention and onset of diabetes. Especially if your overweight or have a family history of the disease.
According to the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional 160,022 death certificates. This means that diabetes contributed to a total of 231,404 deaths in a single year. These people were somebody’s mother, grandfather, coworker, pastor, teacher, student, and friend.
What many people do not seems to realize is that diabetes can affect every part of the body. One of the areas it can affect is the skin. Infections can arise such as bacterial and fungal infections, as well as, itching and allergic reactions. Bacterial infections can include boils and folliculitis—which is infections of the hair follicles. The most common fungal infections that can occur are athlete’s feet and Candida albicans—which can create itchy rashes of moist, red areas that are surrounded by tiny blisters and scales.
Another major bodily concern with diabetes is the different foot complications that can arise. Neuropathy, poor circulation, and amputation are just a few of the complications that can exist. Neuropathy is a loss of feeling. This can lead to unknown foot injuries. It can also lead to uncomfortable change in shape of your foot.
Lastly, the risk of heart disease can increase. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and strikes in people with diabetes more than two times compared to a person without. According to the American Diabetes Association, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes will die from this deadly disease. Those are just three of the multiple complications that can occur.
As a whole, diabetes isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. There are many that are left undiagnosed and many who have this disease that do not realize the serious complications that can arise if left untreated.
According to a recent study completed by Dr. M.J. Fowler, women and men who have a BMI > 35 had a 20 times greater risk of developing diabetes compared to people with a BMI of 18.5-24.9. The absolute number one preventative measure is diet and exercise. It is the healthiest way in lowering people’s body mass index to a healthier range.
A diabetic diet is not only good for people with diabetes, but also for those who are trying to prevent it. MayoClinic.com has a detailed list of foods that are diabetic friendly. These are also foods that can deter the onset of diabetes for those at risk. The “diet” is naturally rich in nutrients and low in fats and calories. MayoClinic claims “a diabetic diet is the best eating plan for most everyone.” It is not restrictive so it is much easier to follow than said “other diets.” Another important factor is to keep your eating times to a fairly strict schedule.
Exercise is the other crucial preventative measure in reducing the risk of diabetes. There is not one, but many exercise programs that can be beneficial. Studies show that aerobic and resistance training can be beneficial. But the two combined together in a single training program works the best.
Now that we know there is a solution to the problem, what can we as Americans do? The answer is this: GET ACTIVE. Sadly, the United States is overall an obese nation with a projected disease increase of 165% by the year 2050 if these preventative measures are not taken. We can prevent diabetes from happening, but, only if, we get out there and do something about it. They key to elimination and containment of this disease is prevention.
Diabetes is a preventable disease that affects a wide range of people. It is a disease that affects not only a single target area, but also the entire body. People need to be educated about the preventative measures in order to live a longer, healthier life. By doing this we will conquer this silent, but deadly disease. Diabetes not only affects you, but everyone around you as well. Don’t be selfish. Get out there and get healthy.