Diabetes and Obesity

Why are people worldwide eating themselves into an epidemic of diabetes? Many have asked this question on what is the link between diabetes and obesity and scientists are now doing research into being better able to provide the answer as well as developing new medications with this obesity link in mind.

Currently there are over 150 million people in the world who are suffering with diabetes and over 300 million people estimated to be obese. This results in 1.7 billion people in the world today with an increased risk of other life-threatening disease such as heart attacks and strokes.

There are two common types of diabetes. Both types are caused by problems in how insulin works. Type 1 diabetes usually appears in childhood or adolescence and causes high blood glucose level because the body does not make enough insulin.

Gaining weight is frequent in those diabetics who are on insulin therapy in order to manage their diabetes.. This is generally due to the fact that the more insulin needed to manage the blood glucose level the more glucose is wrapped up in the cells, rather than eliminated by the body. This extra glucose needs to go somewhere so the body stores it as fat and this causes the subject to gain weight.

But 90% of all diabetics have Type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed before the age of 40 but has been found in all ages. Type-2 occurs when the body produces enough insulin but the cells of the body can not use it causing the body to overproduce more insulin.

It has been known for sometime that there is a connection between obesity and diabetes as weight loss is always recommended as one way to lower blood glucose levels in those people with Type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese.

The experts have evaluated many controlled clinical trials to determine what the effect of weight loss is on fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin levels and they have found:

• Overwhelming evidence that the loss of weight by modifications in eating habits reduces the levels of blood glucose and HbA1c in many patients with Type-2 diabetes.
• Further evidence that suggest that a decrease in fat around the abdomen also will improve glucose tolerance in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance.
• Some limited evidence that an increase in cariorespiratory fitness along with weight loss improves glucose tolerance in those diabetics who are overweight.
• Evidence to suggest that weight loss helped by weight loss medication does not appear to improve blood glucose levels any better than weight loss thru lifestyle changes in overweight people with or without Type-2 diabetes.

The case has been proven many times that carrying extra weight and body fat go hand in hand with Type-2 diabetes. Overweight people are at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. There has been a very rapid increase in diabetes cases in the last several decades which correlate with the rise in obesity in our societies. And this is not just seen in the United States but in all developing countries around the world. India currently has the largest number of people diagnosed with this chronic disease.

So what is the point of all this research and what is the “take home” message? Newly diagnosed Type-2 diabetics can often control their disease by diet changes and exercise alone or with very little medication. But this takes a commitment on the part of the subject to do the work that is necessary to make these lifestyle changes.

These recommendations are:

• To control your diet as this will help you control your diabetes. Diets for those who have diabetes need to be rich in fibers, small amounts of fats or carbohydrates, and low in protein. The diet should also be rich in minerals, vitamins, as well as antioxidants and other factors which can boost the immune system. These foods include apples, leafy greens, nuts, dairy products and whole meal breads. Also fruits that are very fresh are excellent sources of carbohydrates as the sugar in them do not need insulin to metabolize.
• Control your weight and the best way to control weight is to exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week. Exercise is considered a natural cure for many problems and diseases of the body.

In an attempt to gain more information on diabetes and obesity, researchers at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill began studying the metabolism process in mice. In late 2007, these researchers wrote in the journal Cell Metabolism that mice which lack a certain enzyme are very lean and also resistant to weight gain, even when on a high fat diet.

Now this is great news for almost everyone as rennin-blocking drugs, like those used to manage high blood pressure may also be eventually used to manage diabetes and obesity as well as insulin resistance. Currently in clinical trials, these drugs are already showing many positive effects in improving insulin sensitivity and also in reducing the frequency of Type 2 diabetes. Both of these are causes of obesity.