Turn on the TV or open a magazine and you will find endless advertisements for drugs from pharmaceutical companies. The pharmaceutical companies have huge advertising budgets because they are in a billion dollar industry. Treatments for diabetes have played a large role in pharmaceutical revenues. These corporate America drug companies have created helpful treatments for diabetes, but at what cost?

The cost is that diabetics have become dependent upon these drug treatments. Plus, they are only treatments and not a cure for diabetes. This leaves many diabetics to wonder why drug companies don't spend time searching for a cure instead of just promoting treatments. The money these drug companies reel in every day is more than enough to fund studies to find a cure for diabetes.

Many drug companies don't push money into diabetes cure research because if a cure or a way to prevent diabetes is found then their lucrative drugs will become obsolete. This is a greedy mentality that is not in the best interests of people with diabetes. Unfortunately, drug companies have the upper hand because diabetes is a disease which we do not choose and have to manage with their treatments.

In addition, many drug companies tout new treatments each year that are in fact a revised version of past treatment options. They bring new drugs to the market in hopes of earning a quick dollar, or millions of dollars, when in fact it is a new spin on an old treatment. This can be frustrating, misleading, and expensive for diabetes sufferers.

Drug companies also focus on diabetic aids such as blood glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and insulin pens. Theses products are often recommended in addition to prescription medication. Drug companies push these products because it means even more money in their pocket. Plus, these products will be used throughout your life so it means a constant supply of profit for drug companies.

The sad fact is that drug companies don't have our best interests at heart. They see dollar signs instead of human faces. Many bigwigs at the drug companies will continue to capitalize on the increase in the diabetes epidemic. More diabetes sufferers leads to a bigger market which puts more money in their pockets.

People with diabetes need to stand up against these drug corporations. We need to remove the stronghold they have upon us. One way to achieve this goal is to change our lifestyle to help prevent diabetes. For example, Type 2 diabetes is often due to or amplified by being overweight. As diabetics we can engage in diabetes prevention by selecting healthy food options, exercising, and reducing weight. These are actions that we can take without paying a drug company. We can also look to dietary supplements for their benefits on blood sugar.

Diabetics need to stand up for their rights. We need to push to have money spent on publicizing the ways to reverse diabetes as opposed to treatment only. We need to cap the prices on diabetes treatments so that they are at a manageable level for diabetes sufferers. Otherwise, the drug companies will live large while we are trying to maintain a normal life.