Nobody knows how or why some people get diabetes but there are some things we know that can add to your chances of getting it. You have more chance of getting it when you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI), but not all ATSI people have diabetes.
ATSI people live different to how they used to live. Changes that add to your chances of getting diabetes are:
- Not as active
- More overweight
- Eating fatty salty, sugary foods.
People living the old way were:
- Active
- Leaner and fit
- Eating healthy food (bush tucker).
Other chances of getting diabetes include:
- It is in your family tree or when someone in your family has diabetes
- You had diabetes when pregnant
- You get older
- You eat too much and you eat too many fatty and sugary foods
- You are overweight
- You are not active enough
- You have pancreatitis (a sickness of the pancreas).
There are things you can’t change or stop you from getting diabetes:
- It’s in your family
- You are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- You are pregnant with diabetes
- You are getting older.
The things you can do to slow down the start of diabetes:
- Eat healthy and be a healthy weight
- Be active
- Don’t drink too much grog.
Nobody knows why or how people get diabetes. After a while it can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes, feet and nerves making you really sick.
Talk to your doctor, clinic, nurse or health worker about having a test to find out if you have diabetes. You can’t always feel it or see it happening, so you might not know you have it.
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