Weight Loss And Diabetes

Diabetes has long since been a growing problem in the Western world, and it is very prevalent too here in the Philippines. Diabetes has also been associated with being overweight for a very long time.

As with any medical condition, you should consult your doctor if you think you may have diabetes; or if you know you have and you want to make changes to your diet, or undertake an exercise programme, you should also tell take professional advice.

The article below is about diabetes and weight loss. It is very brief but you will find much more information available on the two websites mentioned near the end.

The Association Between Diabetes and Weight Loss

I have a friend here in the Philippines I speak to on the telephone regularly. If she is not sounding too good, I ask if she is alright. Usually, she will answer: "I'm a little bit ok." You also get people saying things like that in relation to diabetes, something like "I'm just a little bit diabetic." Strictly speaking, that cannot be. What they are probably referring to is a condition is called 'pre-diabetes', and which is characterized by persistent high blood sugar levels.

Pre-diabetes is a serious condition, though its symptoms may be so subtle that you don't even notice them affecting your life. More importantly, it is an indicator that there is something seriously wrong with your body. Left untreated, over 50% of those diagnosed with pre-diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within ten years.

The American Diabetes Association has some very good news for those diagnosed with pre-diabetes. In March 2005, the ADA released the results of the Diabetes Prevention Project, which has spanned quite a few years. This study followed thousands of patients across the US who had been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. This Diabetes Prevention Project found that patients who lost a 'moderate' amount of weight reduced were able to reduce their risk of developing full-blown diabetes by over 58%. Just as, or even more, encouraging, many of those patients had managed to reverse their condition, and their blood sugar levels were well within normal ranges.

This was a result that the researchers had not really expected. It had been thought that the condition was irreversible. Diabetes (and pre-diabetes) are the result of changes to cells in the pancreas that reduce the amount of insulin that can be produced. Now however, the research seems to suggest that losing weight with a healthy balance of exercise and diet, can actually heal those early damages caused by pre-diabetes.

There was some more encouraging news for those who are overweight. Those results were achieved by people who lost 'moderate' amounts of weight, from 5-7% of their total body mass. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds and have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, losing just 10-15 pounds can more than halve the risk of developing full-blown diabetes, and may reverse your condition entirely.

Here are some healthy weight loss tips from the ADA:

1. Add an extra half hour daily of moderate exercise, five days a week. This one single lifestyle change seemed to be the key to both weight loss, plus the beneficial effects derived from it. It was the single most significant difference between the two groups in the study.

2. Eat, and drink, a balanced diet. Eat a variety of foods in all food groups, with an emphasis on grains, starches and fresh vegetables and fresh fruit.

3. Portion control is far more important than restricting what foods you eat. A 'portion' of raw vegetables may be considerably larger than a portion of the same vegetables cooked. There are some handy reference guides on the ADA web site at www.diabetes.org

The results of the Diabetes Prevention Project only confirm what has been the best advice in dieting circles for years. That is, losing weight with a balanced diet and exercise is the healthiest way there is to achieve weight loss.

For more Information on the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association, visit their web site at:

www.diabetes.org

and/or, for the UK you will find much very helpful information at:

www.diabetes.org.uk/home.htm