THE LINK BETWEEN WEIGHT & DIABETESSubmitted By Carol Tomlinson RN BS, Littauer’s Community Health Educator |
Did you know that nearly 9 out of 10 people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes are overweight? According to the American Diabetes Association, if you are overweight - you may be as much as seven times more likely to develop diabetes as a normal weight person!
People who are diabetic are more likely not only to be overweight, but also to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. At least one out of every five overweight people has several of these metabolic problems at once…which can lead to serious complications such as heart disease.
OBESITY & INSULIN
Type 2 diabetes is a two-step process that first affects the body’s response to, and later its production of, insulin. The decreased responsiveness to insulin, called insulin resistance, forces the pancreas to work harder. The pancreas in a normal weight person might put out 30 units of insulin a day. If that person becomes obese, those same 30 units are no longer sufficient to clear the glucose (sugar) from the blood. The pancreas starts to produce more insulin, but often cannot keep up with the demand and type 2 diabetes results.
NEW FINDINGS
Recent research has found three substances produced by fat cells (resistin, leptin and fatty acids) may be the missing links in obesity and diabetes. The roles of the first two hormones are not yet fully understood. However, according to the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Research Center, the role of free fatty acids is significant.
Free fatty acids, which are formed from the breakdown of stored fat in cells, circulate through the body and contribute to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Normally, muscle cells remove glucose from the blood stream for use as energy. However, research suggests that accumulation of fatty acids in muscle cells of overweight people may prevent glucose form entering these cells. The resulting rise in blood glucose is the main characteristic of diabetes.
WEIGHT LOSS MATTERS
The good news is that type-2 diabetes is very sensitive to weight loss and may even disappear when obese people lose weight. Improved insulin resistance can occur with a loss of as little as 5 pounds. Even better results can be achieved with a 7% to 15% decrease in weight. In fact, the Diabetes Prevention Program study showed that people who followed a low-calorie/low-fat diet, exercised 30 minutes a day, and lost an average of 15 pounds, were 58% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
For more information on diabetes, contact your health care provider, the American Diabetes Association at 518-218-1755 (www.diabetes.org), or HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, visit our website at www.nlh.org or our Wellness Center in the Johnstown Mall (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). We’re your community health and wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home!
Save this date! Thursday, May 8 at 10:30 a.m.…Special Senior Luncheon Program at the Perthshire on "The Five Best Physical Activities to Reduce Weight, Stress, Low Back Pain, Diabetes & Cardiovascular Risk" presented by Robert Sweetgall…call 762-3909 for details!
HealthLink is located in the Johnstown Mall (formerly Pyramid Mall) on Route 30A in Johnstown. The office is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Our mailing address is:
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HealthLink |
Phone: (518) 736-1120 |
Call (518) 736-1120 with your thoughts for scheduling information.