Have you noticed that most people who have diabetes seem to be overweight?  You may be thinking there has to be a connection and you may not be surprised to know that there is.  Is it diabetes that gives rise to obesity or the other way round? What are the reasons they occur in the first place?

You need to be aware of what diabetes is, the link with obesity, and how the two are related to each other. Read on to discover more.

Basics of Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to control blood sugar levels because it is unable to produce insulin. This means that the blood contains high levels of glucose. The condition is an autoimmune disease which means that it occurs when the immune system begins to malfunction and start attacking normal healthy cells in the body. When you have one autoimmune condition, you are more predisposed to having another.

Diabetes is divided into two types, type I and type II diabetes. Type I diabetes occurs due to insufficient production of insulin or no production of insulin in the body. It usually occurs to children or adolescents. Type II diabetes takes place when the body shows resistance to insulin, which means that it does not react well to insulin.

Studies show that type II diabetes is more common than type I and is present among 90% of diabetic patients. It is diagnosed mostly after the age of 40, but can take place among persons of any age. Diabetes is mostly found in women. What needs to be understood is that diabetes is not something that can be taken lightly. If left untreated for long, not only can it cause many other diseases, it can also become fatal.

Stats show that diabetes is the major reason for kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes, amputations of limbs and blindness. What’s more, in US alone it is responsible for causing 200,000 death each year. About 10% of the American population is afflicted with diabetes and of these, 8.1 million people don’t even know they are suffering from it. Some common signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Skin conditions
• Excessive thirstiness
• Excessive urination
• Exhaustion
• Hunger pangs
• Wounds that don’t heal well or at all
• Numb toes and feet, tingling sensations
• Yeast infection

If you have any of the above symptoms, you need to bring your symptoms up to your doctor. There are simple blood tests that can clearly show whether or not you have diabetes type I or II. Delaying or waiting for the symptoms to become severe is only going to result in further problems. People who are already overweight or have diabetes in their genes are more at risk of getting the disease. Do not forget, diabetes is the 7^th leading cause of death in US.

Where Does Obesity Begin?

Obesity is where you gain of excessive fat and weight. It is measured in terms of BMI, the body mass index. If the body mass index is more than 30, then the person is considered obese. Studies show that with sedentary lifestyles and overconsumption of processed and fatty food items, more and more people are getting into the category of obesity.

Obesity is believed to be the most serious health problems of the 21^st century.  The American Medical Association has termed obesity under a disease. It is also one of the worst hazardous risks because obesity gives rise to multiple medical conditions like coronary heart diseases, stroke, some type of cancers, and diabetes. If left unchecked it can cause fatality.

How are they Connected

Studies show that obesity and diabetes have a very strong correlation. If a person is suffering from obesity, they automatically become more at risk for acquiring diabetes. Why and how does that occur? Here is the science behind it.

Studies show an 80-85% risk increase for an obese person to be diabetic as well. People who have BMI lower than 22 are 80 times safer. According to research, here is what happens; When your abdominal fat increases, it cause inflammation in the body and this hinders the function of insulin responsive cells. And what does type II diabetes mean? Resistance to insulin. In simple words, when you are fat, you have inflammation and that causes diabetes.

Obesity is also said to lead to prediabetes, a condition where the metabolic system does not function properly. This is another clear path for diabetes to cause more symptoms. But these two aren’t the only reasons that obesity can cause diabetes. Recent studies have shown that overeating causes the inside lining of the cells to become stressed. This leads to insulin resistance which in turn, can make someone more predisposed to type ll diabetes II.

Is it a Lost Cause?

Does this mean that this is a lost cause? That if you are obese you will have diabetes and vice versa? The answer is that both obesity and diabetes can often be avoided if proper care is taken. In order to make sure that you reduce the risk of diabetes, you need to lower your weight.

Make sure that you eat food that is healthy, free from added chemicals and hormones. What’s more, if you have been living a sedentary life, then become more active. Exercise regularly and make sure that your weight is in the lower normal limit. Even something as simple as walking is very helpful.  If you would like help in knowing what to eat according to your body chemistry, call Health Solutions Plus, 716-773-4707, to see if you are a candidate for The DNA Uprint.

If you do develop diabetes, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that weight loss can have a positive impact on your blood sugar. The more weight you shed, the easier it will be to manage your blood sugar.   Also remember that stress only makes matters worse due to elevated cortisol production from your adrenal glands.  Remain calm and act rationally in order to control your weight and manage your blood sugar effectively.

References

• https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwiu-o3mrNDXAhWHLFAKHTvXDHkQFggtMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicinenet.com%2Fdiabetes_mellitus%2Farticle.htm&usg=AOvVaw3qlV14qDtrLlu8GIa3Eiv8
• http://www.obesity.org/content/weight-diabetes
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206399/
• http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-and-obesity.html
• https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=39840