Diabesity
The link between obesity and diabetes
By Jill Hillhouse, BPHE, RNCP
Diabetes is not a new disease, but its relative rarity prior to the twentieth
century coupled with its emergence as a major disease have led it to be classified as a disease of modern living. Diabetes is not just the inevitable result of “bad genes”, but in fact arises from a number of diverse causes – one of which is indeed a by-product of modern life – obesity. A full 80 percent of people who are diagnosed with diabetes are overweight when they are diagnosed.
The actual mechanism of how obesity might cause diabetes is the subject of on-going research and recently researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden have made progress in this area. In type 2 diabetes, especially earlier in the disease, insulin levels are typically elevated, indicating a loss of sensitivity to insulin by the cells of the body. The researchers found that in an overweight person, fat can accumulate as fat droplets in the muscle and liver cells, leading to cell damage. This damage in turn leads to a defect in the
signaling from insulin. This signaling problem contributes to an increase in blood sugar levels and diabetes results. Although further research is needed to fully understand this mechanism, fat in the cells is a major contributing factor. Achieving a healthy body weight significantly improves blood sugar control and can even restore normal blood sugar levels in many cases.
If not treated properly, type 2 diabetes can cause kidney damage, poor circulation, numbness in the feet, dangerous infections and erectile dysfunction. The main consequence of this condition, however, is heart disease, which claims the lives of approximately 80% of all diabetic patients. The good news is that dietary changes can really help with blood sugar control and can also help to prevent the damage caused by type 2 diabetes.
Jill Hillhouse, BPHE, RNCP., is a nutritionist with CIBO Clinic and a faculty member of the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in Toronto. She is a regular contributor to various national health magazines.
