Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity and Diabetes

As per the research made about family history, it has been noticed that diabetes is the biggest risk factor and the other risk factor is obesity. The conclusion made is that obesity and diabetes are related with each other. Obesity plays a role in type 2 diabetes. People with obesity are more prone to diabetes. Doctors have found out that obesity is the major factor to diagnose diabetes.

Obesity and Diabetes

  • One of the stages in diabetes is known as Pre-diabetes. When such stage comes, the person's blood glucose levels are more than normal. These levels are high enough to know diabetes. Around 11 percent of people with pre-diabetes in the DPP standard have type 2 diabetes every year during the average three years of follow-up. Along with pre-diabetes, long-term damage occurs to the heart and circulatory system. There is a high risk of diabetes due to obesity. People having pre-diabetes are susceptible to type 2 diabetes. Before people know about type 2 diabetes, they usually always have pre-diabetes.
  • Doctors mainly focus on family history or hereditary reasons to diagnose diabetes. But with the relation of obesity and its risk to diabetes, they also look for obesity as the risk factor. People with obesity without a family history of diabetes are also suspected for diabetes these days.
  • The junk food, unnecessary rich diet, irregular eating, lack of exercise habits, etc. are some reasons for it, but most of the research says that change in lifestyle can bring the right shape and weight loss programs are worth trying. Physical trainers and dietician can help you in planning your diet and regular exercise to keep you away from obesity and diabetes.

Childhood Obesity and Diabetes: For children, being overweight can increase the risk of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was earlier rare in American children. Now, it ranges for 8 to 45 percent of diagnosed diabetes cases in children and teenagers in which type 1 diabetes is very common.

Risk Factors Involved in Obesity and Diabetes: As compared to adults having healthy weight (BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9), those with a BMI of 40 or higher have more risk of being diagnosed with diabetes.

Out of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, 67 percent are overweight and remaining 46 percent are obese. 70 percent of diabetes risk in the United States can be due to excess weight.

Other health risks related with obesity involves certain types of arthritis, gall bladder problems, GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease), pulmonary diseases like sleep apnea, or liver diseases.

Obesity as a Reason for Diabetes: One of the problems related with obesity is the growth of type 2 diabetes which is known as adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be serious problem, as it involves many complications that can increase a person's chances for premature death.

To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes with Change in Lifestyle: You can lessen your chances to get diabetes. Some of the ways to reduce your risk of having type 2 diabetes can be:

  • Regular exercise
  • Weight loss
  • Burning fat and intake of calories

The studies made on obesity and diabetes show that loss in weight prevents diabetes. Change in lifestyle can result in a weight loss up to 5 to 7 percent of body weight. This can possibly delay or prevent the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. These lifestyle changes include physical activity with healthy diet and consumption of water and lowering the intake of fat and calories. Modifications in lifestyle were even effective in people who were 60 years and older; they reduced their risk by 71 percent.

The obesity occurrence is a massive and global problem. Initial stage of overweight and obese people can result in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes. Obesity is not the situation that affects older people, although the likelihood does increase with age, and increasing numbers of young people have been diagnosed with obesity. It is found out that nearly one out of every five adults is overweight, and nearly one out of 15 is obese. This figure keeps on rising steadily. The links between obesity and diabetes (especially type 2 diabetes) are firmly established. Without a healthy diet and proper exercise, obesity can cause diabetes within a short period of time.