Formulating For Wellness - DIABETES: An Unfolding Epidemic
Epidemic levels...Overwhelming health care costs...Blindness, heart and nerve disease, and kidney failure." Such alarming sound bites filled the media about a month or two ago when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, released statistics on the increasing incidence of diabetes. For marketers looking for new demographic niches, this unhappily promises to be a large one.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that results from impairment in the body's production and/or use of the hormone insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and helps transport glucose (sugar) into the cells of most organs where it is used for energy. Insulin also lends a hand in protein synthesis and fat storage. When diabetes is not under control, glucose and fat remain in the bloodstream, contributing to both organ and blood vessel damage over time.1, 2