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Obesity and type 2 diabetes

Obesity and type 2 diabetes

Around 60 to 75 million Americans are insulin resistant. Why, then, do only some people with insulin resistance develop type 2 diabetes? Because in many cases, the beta cells of the pancreas make enough extra insulin to keep blood sugar levels in a normal range. However, if the pancreas cannot produce enough extra insulin, diabetes develops. In other words, you must have both insulin resistance and reduced beta cell function for type 2 diabetes to appear.


Fat’s Role

Extra body fat, especially fat around the middle, creates insulin resistance. We do not understand the exact way in which body fat interferes with insulin action. However, we do know that fat cells make hormones that keep insulin from working at its best. The larger your fat cells, the more of these hormones you will produce, and the more insulin resistant you will become.

In fact, if you gain as little as 10 pounds over 15 years, it can double your insulin resistance and increase your risk of diabetes. Insulin resistance may also contribute to high blood pressure, increased triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and reduced levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

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There are several ways to lower your insulin resistance. Some oral medications act directly on the body’s cells to improve their sensitivity to insulin. However, many of these medicines have potential side-effects. Weight loss (through exercise and cutting calories) seems to be the best way to improve the body’s ability to use insulin. The Diabetes Prevention Trial, a major clinical study, proved that losing modest amounts of weight and increasing physical activity lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.

Burning extra calories is often as simple as doing some extra walking. If your doctor gives you the go-ahead for more rigorous exercise, go for it! Exercise in itself, with or without weight loss, helps improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
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