Type 2 Diabetes affecting South Asian
Author Name
Elizabeth Day

Outline
I. Type 2 Diabetes
a. The Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians
II. Introduction of Type 2 Diabetes
a. Main causes of Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians
i) Visceral fat and diet ii) Fat storage capabilities
b. Cultural beliefs and Diabetes
i) Dietary Implications ii) Noncompliance in South Asians
III. South Asians, Muslim’s Religious Holiday
i) Ramadan ii) Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia iii) Ketoacidosis & Dehydration
IV. Patient Education and Support
i) proper education and support
V. Conclusion
i) Cultural attitudes and beliefs affecting modification in Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes affecting South Asian
The disease process of Type 2 Diabetes throughout the body is a chronic lifestyle adjustment. Type 2 Diabetes occurs in the body due to elevated levels of blood glucose and the body not being able to use insulin properly. Type 2 Diabetes in South Asian population has been slowly increasing throughout the years. This disease can often occur due to sedentary lifestyle and dietary choices, but in South Asian cultures it is a number of factors coming together. In South Asian men and women, the risk of Type 2 Diabetes increases with their body mass index at a rate of 22.9. This is also resulting in the second and third generation of South Asian children developing diabetes with even lower BMIs (Holt, 2012, pp.42).
Causes of Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians
High levels of insulin resistance occur in South Asians as compared to any other race due to a number of factors. One factor being the amount of visceral fat accumulated in the abdomen due to their high saturated fat diet. Abdominal fat in the body generally releases high levels of fatty acids, which impacts the body’s liver and muscle cells. The Thrifty phenotype hypothesis proposes that visceral fat provides the body with energy during crisis. This process is typically applied to low birth weight babies but can also be applied to South Asians who live a traditional and simple life with certain dietary adaptations. As they begin to adopt certain lifestyles of the American culture, they begin to consume high calorie foods. South Asians do not have as much capacity to store fat as compared to Europeans. As South Asians gain weight the lower part of their body fat fills up quickly which would cause the extra fat to be stored in the abdomen. While all this is going on with the abdomen, at the same time fat is being stored in the liver and muscle which leads to insulin resistance (Holt, 2012, pp.42-43). Culture plays an important role in each individual’s life. Culture is always being passed from one generation to another. Culture can depict a lot about one individual, especially their lifestyle, value, and beliefs. The effective way of managing diabetes for life is through diet and exercising. South Asians are very particular about their diet. There is a huge diversity in their diet and the specific foods they consume. Even if South Asians migrated to western countries to adapt, they will still eat their traditional meals rather than picking from different varieties of food obtainable. South Asians believes that their traditional food has much more strength and they want to stay in touch with their culture. There are many misunderstandings in South Asian people about how carbohydrates and blood glucose effects their body. In Islamic culture, even if they are diabetic they will consume honey because they consider that honey is a cure for all disease including diabetes. Where in India people will eat rice and chapattis (flour tortilla) for every meal not knowing how many carbohydrates it contains, but will still count their spoons of sugar intake in their tea. People in India assume that if it does not taste sweet, it does not have any kind of sugar in that they should be aware of (Holt, 2012, pp.43-44).
South Asians, Muslim’s