Health, Obesity
Why Does Obesity Cause Diabetes?
We have been told one too many times that being overweight or obese is bad, but did you know the extent of damage obesity has on your health?
Summary: 60 Second Read
This article will cover-
- OBESITY VS OVERWEIGHT- There is a difference being overweight and being obese. Being obese can lead to several severe health risks.
- HOW OBESITY INCREASES YOUR RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES- Obesity causes your body's cells to become insulin resistant increasing your blood sugar level.
Obesity vs overweight
Although we have been using these 2 words interchangeably, there is a subtle difference in their medical definitions.
Obesity is a condition where a person has accumulated so much body fat that it might have a negative impact on their health. This is different from being overweight, where the weight may come from muscle, bone, fat or body water.
Health professionals have suggested using your body mass index (BMI) as a rough indicator. If your BMI is 30 or above, you are considered obese.
Do keep in mind that this is a very rough gauge and having a higher than normal BMI does not necessarily mean you are unhealthy. Imagine bodybuilders! They are constantly building muscle, which means they are also putting on weight but it does not mean that their health is at stake.
Obesity can happen for many different reasons, such as consuming too many calories, leading a sedentary lifestyle and getting insufficient sleep. But regardless of the reason, being obese puts one in danger of certain illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Summary- There is a difference being overweight and being obese. Being obese can lead to several severe health risks.
How obesity increases your risk for type 2 diabetes
People who are obese have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is also known as insulin-resistant or adult-onset diabetes. This is a condition where your blood glucose level is persistently high.
In obese persons, cells of fat tissues have to process more nutrients than they can manage. The stress in these cells triggers an inflammation that releases a protein known as cytokines. Cytokines then block the signals of insulin receptors, thus gradually causing the cells to become resistant to insulin.
Insulin allows your cells to use glucose (sugar) for energy. When you are resistant to insulin, your body is unable to convert the glucose into energy and you end up with a persistently high blood glucose level.
Besides suppressing normal responses to insulin, the stress also triggers inflammation in cells that can lead to heart disease.
Summary- Obesity causes your body's cells to become insulin resistant increasing your blood sugar level.
Reference:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259868/
- https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-and-obesity.html
- https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2016/obesity-diabetes-disaster/en/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193
