Diabetes: Arab Emotions Uncontrollable

Jordan is Second in the World When it Comes to Diabetes: Fifth Cause of Death in Jordan

Remember that line I quoted from Shakespeare “Muslim Pride in the 31st Psalm,” June 10, 2008, when Shylock was comparing himself to others (in the “Merchant of Venice”)? Shakespeare was subtly and eloquently telling anti-Semites that Jews are just like everyone. How quickly we forget that when you strip Arabs and Muslims of their less salient qualities, they too are remarkably like the rest of us. If only their pride didn’t keep so many of them from seeing the similarities. If only more couldn’t act decently and join the human race, instead of trying to kill or convert the rest of us.

Jordan is a country now that would have been Israel if the British Empire had kept its promise. But it didn’t and that’s water over the bridge. Jews moved on, gladly accepted the land the British and the Arabs agreed to give back to the Jews, and with Israel, Jordan has been acting responsibly and reasonably. The two nations have good relations in trade and in many other ways.

What we often forget, is aside from the political issues we care so much about, there are also biological issues that need to be overcome; medical issues included. In Jordan the fifth main cause of death is diabetes. 16 percent of Jordanian citizens over the age of 18 have it. 23.8 percent of Jordanians over 18 years old are pre-diabetic, that is they are apt to become diabetics if the 2007 study by the Heart and Capillary Disease Prevention directorate (HCDP) of the Ministry of Health is correct, and I have no reason to doubt that it is not.

It is believed the reason Jordanians have trouble controlling their blood sugar is because of their diet and lack of exercise. That is, they eat unhealthy foods, too much sugar, and not fruit or vegetables. Smoking doesn’t help either.

Insulin converts sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. We get diabetes when something gets screwed up with insulin production or how insulin gets used once it’s produced. Obesity is one of the major risk factors, and being a couch potato is also a major contributing factor.

6 percent of the world’s population has diabetes, so Jordan’s rates are way out of the ordinary. In terms of being diabetic, Jordan is Number 2 in the Arab world. 7 percent of the American population is diabetic. I should add that heredity plays a big role in many cases of diabetes.

I am not saying Arabs are more prone to diabetes and Arabs are hot-heads, an Arabs can’t control their emotions because they have blood sugar problems, but who knows, there could be something to it.

Jordan is largely composed of what people call Palestinians. That is, ethnically there are a few main groups in Jordan, and the group people now associate with being Palestinian comprise the largest percent. Therefore, one might conclude there’s a good chance that Palestinians have problems with their blood sugar. We also know Palestinians have trouble controlling themselves (aka, they’re a little nuts). Might there be a genetic and medical explanation? Might there be a medical solution? If only life were so easy.

Among diabetics, there are two major types: one group has trouble producing insulin, and the other has trouble using the insulin it produces.

If you’re wondering what the symptoms are, sometimes it’s onset it noticeable due to the sudden onset of weight loss, frequent urination, thirst, lack of concentration and dizziness.

If you don’t take care of yourself in the ways doctors advise, the serious effects of diabetes include deterioration of vision which can lead to blindness, and all kinds of circulatory problems, that can lead to the malfunction of parts of your body. All this can lead to a premature death.