Do you ask yourself why is obesity a risk factor for diabetes?
In this article, you will find out how your body fat can help you become a regular insulin taker and what you can do to prevent it.
The sources all over the world prove that being overweight is associated with diabetes and other diseases that go hand in hand with it.
Appropriate diets can lower the diabetic’s glucose in the bloodstream, decrease the blood pressure, and even prevent the disease to spread.
Curing diabetes type 2 (T2D) is possible with a full commitment and dedication to the lifestyle and habits.
Here you have the reason why obesity influences on becoming a insulin taker.
How is obesity related to type 2 diabetes?
Doctor Taylor’s test on 11 people showed that fats stored around their pancreas and liver make them insulin intolerance.
The main goal of insulin is to reduce glucose in the bloodstream. So, when insulin is not doing his job, you are exposed to diabetes.
Obesity in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom reports that they will have 27% to 26 million obese people in the country in the next 20 years.
Health experts know that this means a million extra cases of T2D, cancer, and heart disease.
They say that some factors influence on developing different types of diabetes.
Obesity or overweight (BMI of 30 or higher) is first on the list among other causes of the disease.
What is the relationship between being overweight or obese and diabetes?
Obese people have 80 times more chances to develop the mentioned disease.
It is even more likely to get T2D if you have fat around the abdominal area.
Fat cells around abdominal develop pro-inflammatory chemicals that result in body insulin resistance.
The UK government says that there is a close link between obesity and diabetes type 2, so being overweight influences on this epidemic disease.
What is the correlation between BMI and type 2 diabetes?
Body mass index (BMI) is a factor that we can also link to diabetes.
According to the data, an obese person has a 7x greater risk of becoming a diabetic than a healthy person whose weight is normal.
Why is physical inactivity a risk factor for diabetes?
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases shared that obesity and inactivity are strongly linked to diabetes development.
They say that being overweight can be a result of non-activity. It causes insulin resistance so we can say that it is a possible cause of T2D.
Abdominal fat and insulin resistance
The major factor of insulin resistance and cause of noninsulin-dependent diabetes is fat around the belly or abdominal fat.
However, there are also diseases of blood vessels and heart (cardiovascular disease – CVD) which can occur.
This fat produces hormones that can damage the blood vessels.
The Institute states that being overweight is one of the 12 characteristics that people who developed diabetes have. Read about its causes.
Why is a healthy diet important for diabetes?
University of Maryland Medical Center published an article about the importance of diets and healthy eating when having diabetes.
They say that dieting and maintenance of normal weight should be the primary dietary goals of an obese diabetic.
Can we stop diabetes medication?
The medications of type 2 diabetics can be minimized or avoided by regular exercise routines and diets.
Dieting and curing the disease can make a diabetic a healthy person cured of this damaging disease.
Still, a precaution is needed, consult with your doctor about the change.
What a diabetic should and should not eat?
Diabetics should be aware of heart disease and its associated factors like blood pressure and cholesterol.
The American Diabetes Association states what and how should diabetics eat in this diabetic food list pdf.
Because diabetics are also in danger of heart diseases, they should know that healthy food with nutrients should be a golden rule in their everyday life.
The ADA recommends dietary methods to fight and cure diabetes and to overcome the danger of diseases like heart attack and others.
Nutritional recommendations for diabetes
- Diabetics with BMI 25-29 (overweight) and higher (obese) should consider losing weight when they want to cure diabetes
- Carbohydrates should present from 45-65% of daily calorie intake. However, not every carbohydrate is good, choosing the right type and amount is important. Choose vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains. So, choosing carbs with fiber is a good choice.
- Fats should present a 25-35% daily calorie intake. The best type of fat is omega-3 polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. They recommend olives, peanut, canola oil, avocado, and nuts. Diabetics will do well if they include fish, flaxseed oil, and walnuts in their diet.
- Avoid saturated fat – red meat, butter, it should present less than 7% of daily intake if you want to cure diabetes. Trans fat should be avoided the big time and presents only 1% of daily calorie intake. Foods that have trans-fats are snacks, commercially baked foods, and fried food.
- Protein should present 12-20% of daily calorie intake, but it can vary on a patient’s individual health requirements.
Diabetics with kidney disease should not eat protein more than 10% of daily calorie intake.
Reading food labels for diabetics
The ADA claims that food labels provide us information about nutrients, calories, and daily intake of each nutrient.
Diabetics should make a plan regarding preparing their food. So, measuring and weighing food should also be their daily activity for curing the disease.
Can you skip a meal with diabetes?
Timing presents an important factor when having a meal. Diabetics should never avoid or skip a meal.
If they do, they can upset the balance between food intake and insulin. The patients can also lower their blood sugar and even gain weight.
How to prevent obesity and diabetes?
You can see why obesity and overweight are the cause of type 2 diabetes.
It is never too late to implement healthy habits and lose some pounds for long life.
Consider different types of exercise that you can do and healthy and delicious meals that will sustain your blood sugar at normal levels.
It is your life we are talking about. Changing your nutrition habits can change your viewing angle on life and the ability to start living like a free person without limitations.
