What is it?
Your body breaks down the food that you eat into glucose, which it uses for energy. People with diabetes either don't have enough insulin, which helps your body break down the food you eat into glucose, or their insulin doesn't work right.

There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Most people get Type 1 diabetes as a child or young adult, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it. Type 1 diabetes is insulin-dependent, which means that you need to keep track of your insulin levels, inject yourself with insulin each day and follow a special diet.

Major types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes - Results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them.

Type 2 diabetes - Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency.

Gestational diabetes - Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women.

Pre-diabetes - Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

The Five Essentials

1. You can develop diabetes when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin. Without insulin your body cannot get the energy it needs from your food.
2. Diabetes is life life-long condition. Without proper management it can lead to heart and kidney disease, blindness and amputation.
3. There is no cure for diabetes, but there is effective treatment, and if you know how to take good care of yourself, based on good medical advice; you can lead an active healthy life.
4. Anyone, anywhere can develop diabetes. Being overweight and having a family history of diabetes increases the risk.
5. The obvious symptoms of diabetes are thirst, frequent urination, tiredness and unexplained weight loss.

Knowledge about diabetes

• Older teenagers should have a good knowledge of how the body works in order to understand the different problems that people with diabetes face.
• Older teenagers should know about all major body organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
• Older teenagers should be familiar with the circulatory system, the digestive system and the process through which nutrients are absorbed by the body.

The Rules

Food:
Older teenagers should gain a deeper understanding of nutrition and foodstuffs in general. They should apply the principles of nutrition to daily situations such as playing sports, eating fast food, and going to parties. Older teenagers should be able to shop for their own groceries.

Insulin:
Older teenagers should use blood sugar readings (and blood sugar profiles) independently to adjust doses of all types of insulin according to how much they eat and exercise.

Exercise:
Older teenagers should be able to apply all relevant exercise precautions whether they compete in sports events or follow a daily exercise routine such as jogging or taking long walks.

Blood sugar Testing: Older teenagers are fully responsible for blood sugar testing.

Hypo/Hyperglycaemia

When a diabetes sufferer's blood sugar falls below or rises above its normal range, the person develops hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia.

Hypoglycaemia: Low blood sugar - Older teenagers should understand the importance of teaching their friends and schoolmates about diabetes precautions, especially the symptoms and treatment of severe hypoglycaemia. Older teenagers should know when and how to inject glucagon so that they can instruct potential helpers.

Hyperglycaemia: High blood sugar - Older teenagers should know the causes and symptoms of high blood sugar and precautions to avoid it. Older teenagers should be able to treat high blood sugar successfully by themselves.