Weight Control to Prevent and Treat Diabetes

• Weight management is important for both prevention and treatment of diabetes.
• For type-2 diabetes being obese or severely overweight is the greatest threat.

• When there is fat around, the body cells respond to insulin in a different manner.
• Overweight people have few insulin receptor-sites on the walls of their cells.
• As a result there is a reduction in amount of sugar transported from blood into the cells.
• Consequently sugar remains in the blood stream and increases blood sugar levels.

However, this condition is reversible.

• With weight reduction the number of receptive sites on cells increases. The cells also respond to insulin.
• More sugar from blood enters into the cells and blood sugar level comes down.
• The severity of diabetes is reduced simultaneously.

Let us now understand what is obesity? What are its causes and effects?

What is Obesity?

• Obesity or being severely overweight is a condition where excess fat is deposited or stored in adipose tissues. It is a direct result of excess consumption of food.
• Among diabetics, obesity is a common nutritional disorder and one of the main causes of the disease.

• Obesity can occur in either sex and at any age.
• Obesity is common in people who lead sedentary life and consume more food.
• In women obesity is most likely to occur after pregnancy and menopause.
• During pregnancy a woman gains around 12 Kg. of weight.
• Many women however tend to gain more weight than necessary and retain part of the weight. With every succeeding child they become more obese.

What are the causes of Obesity?

• Overeating or excess intake of calories beyond the body’s energy requirement is the main cause of obesity.
• Even psychological reasons are related to obesity.
• Usually, people who are lonely, unhappy, unloved, bored and not satisfied with their social or financial standings find pleasure and solace in overeating.

• Disturbance of the thyroid or pituitary glands is another factor responsible for obesity.
• Glandular disorders are responsible for about 2 % of the total incidence of obesity.
• Unless these people restrict themselves to a low-calorie diet they keep gaining weight.

What are the effects of Obesity?

• All diabetes related complications maybe aggravated due to obesity.
• Extra fat puts strain on liver, kidneys, heart and weight bearing joints.
• Overweight people are more vulnerable to diseases like high blood pressure, heart failure, liver and gall bladder disorders, gout, arthritis and diabetes.

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