Only 77 percent of diabetic patients take their insulin as prescribed, with 85 percent taking other medication as prescribed. The rest are non-compliant and take their medications sporadically or not at all. Fewer than half of patients who were surveyed monitor blood glucose as instructed, and 45 percent are non-compliant. As for weight loss and exercise, only 24 percent to 27 percent follow doctors’ orders and actually do something about their conditions.

What that adds up to is a lot of people with a serious disease who don't take their treatment seriously. Worse, a good deal of them continue the bad habits that led to the onset of the disease in many cases. This self-sabotage isn’t done to thwart anyone in particular. These are just bad habits developed over a lifetime that the patient struggles to stop but often cannot.

FIVE BAD HABITS

Here are five habits that can become a problem for diabetes management, but people do anyway.

1)     Food: Trying to control blood sugar means strict attention to diet and meal planning so that you’re not forced to eat whatever’s available. Many diabetics wind up grabbing something rich in carbohydrates, which have the biggest impact on blood sugar, and then skyrocket out of control. Because fruits, vegetables and whole grains require a shopping trip and spoil quickly, many diabetics wind up scouring the kitchen for something unhealthy. Portion control is key – too little food may send blood sugar plummeting (a condition known as hypoglycemia), while too much spikes it (hyperglycemia). Some diabetics also can’t stay away from sugar-sweetened, high-fructose beverages, which doesn’t help.

2)    Lack of Exercise – When you undertake physical activity, your muscles burn glucose for energy. Regular activity also helps the body with its insulin management. This doesn’t mean you need to train like an Olympic athlete -- even walking, housekeeping or gardening can burn off some energy. But working people, particularly those in office jobs, find it hard to muster the get-up-and-go that will allow them to get up and go.