Why Are Type 2 Diabetes Obese

Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes by Joanne Z. Rogers, MSN, RN, CNSN, APRN, BC-AD, and Christopher D. Still, DO, FACN, FACP To view a PDF Version of this article, please click here. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are diseases that can substantially decrease life expectancy, diminish quality of life and increase healthcare costs. The incidence of obesity and diabetes continues to rise by epidemic proportions. The term “diabesity” has been coined to describe obesity-dependent diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2002 18.2 million people, or 6.3 percent of the population, had diabetes. Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2000. The direct and indirect cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2002 was estimated at $132 billion. It has been estimated that the annual cost of overweight and obesity in the U.S. is $122.9 billion. This estimate accounts for $64.1 billion in direct costs and $58.8 billion in indirect costs. What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action or both. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body’s immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the only cells in the body that make the hormone insulin that regulates blood glucose. This form of diabetes usually strikes children and young adults, although disease onset can occur at any age. Type 1 diabetes accounts for only five to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for type 1 diabetes include autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors. Type 2 diabetes accounts for some 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which the cells do not use insulin properly. As the nee Continue reading >>

Insulin Action And Resistance In Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes

Nutritional excess is a major forerunner of type 2 diabetes. It enhances the secretion of insulin, but attenuates insulin's metabolic actions in the liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. However, conflicting evidence indicates a lack of knowledge of the timing of these events during the development of obesity and diabetes, pointing to a key gap in our understanding of metabolic disease. This Perspective reviews alternate viewpoints and recent results on the temporal and mechanistic connections between hyperinsulinemia, obesity and insulin resistance. Although much attention has addressed early steps in the insulin signaling cascade, insulin resistance in obesity seems to be largely elicited downstream of these steps. New findings also connect insulin resistance to extensive metabolic cross-talk between the liver, adipose tissue, pancreas and skeletal muscle. These and other advances over the past 5 years offer exciting opportunities and daunting challenges for the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Continue reading >>

Man Can Go To Mars But Cannot Cure Diabetes. Why Did Western Medical Science Give Up On Curing Type 2 Diabetes And Just Rename It A Chronic Disease?

Man hasn’t been to Mars yet, unmanned probes have. Some diabetics can be cured, according to Professor Roy Taylor’s group from Newcastle upon Tyne, see Diabetes Care Very Low-Calorie Diet and 6 Months of Weight Stability in Type 2 Diabetes: Pathophysiological Changes in Responders and Nonresponders, obese type 2 diabetics on a 12 weeks 600 kCal diet losing 15 kg (±15 %) of their body weight, keeping this excess eight off, and ridding themselves of fat in their pancreases, the “responders” (13 out of 30, 43%) had normal fasting blood glucose values while off antidiabetics. Change in fasting plasma glucose (A), HbA1c (B), and weight (C) over the study in responders (●) and nonresponders (△). The gray band represents the stepped transition from VLCD to isocaloric eating of solid foods. Data are mean ± SEM. Those who responded more often had had diabetes for a shorter time, a lower fasting blood glucose, and lost more fat from their pancreases which resulted in a better insulin response Change in first-phase insulin response (A) and pancreas triglyceride content (B) in responders and nonresponders at baseline (hatched bars), after VLCD (checkered bars), and after 6 months of weight maintenance (striped bars). *P < 0.05 for baseline–to–post-VLCD difference; #P < 0.05 for baseline–to–month 6 difference. Continue reading >>

Obesity And Type 1 Diabetes

The summer before I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was the best summer of my life. For as long as I remember, I was both taller and bigger than most kids–including boys. I had dieted many times before, but that summer was magic. I was on the Ayds diet (small piece of Ayds candy with a cup of chicken broth 30 minutes before a meal), and for the first time in my vast 11 years of life, the diet was working: pounds melted away and I felt great about myself. People were complimenting me about how great I looked and how beautiful my legs were. I continued to melt away. My foray into the world of the svelte was fantastic! And then, I almost died. My beautiful, skeletal body betrayed me. The drastic weight loss came from my new forever friend: type 1 diabetes. The night of my diagnosis, a family friend, who was an R.N., gave me the words of encouragement I so desperately craved: “You will never have a weight problem again.” Un-truer words have never been spoken. The dietician gave me a high-calorie diet to put some weight back on my skeleton. I sadly complied. Of course it worked. Thus began the yo-yo dieting. By the time I was 14, I had lost and gained and lost and gained 75 pounds. It is easy for me to see how young girls fall prey to eating disorders. Girls with type 1 diabetes have an especially hard time because they have to be obsessed with insulin and food, and in the back of their minds they know that DKA is a fast ticket to weight loss. Diabulimia (diarexia) is the deliberate withholding of insulin to lose weight. Of course it works, but the consequences are disastrous (fatal, actually)…akin to gargling with chlorine bleach to whiten your teeth. I have girlfriends my age who have had type 1 diabetes for as long as I have, and they have been naturally thin a Continue reading >>

Obesity Exacerbates Type 2 Diabetes-related Brain Abnormalities

People with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese are more likely to have exacerbated and progressive abnormalities in the structure of their brains and cognition, find researchers. The new research was the result of a collaboration between Dr. Sunjung Yoon and Dr. In Kyoon Lyoo, both of the Ewha Brain Institute at the Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, and Hanbyul Cho, of The Brain Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Their findings were published in Diabetologia. Evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes and obesity independently have adverse effects on many organs, including the brain. For example, type 2 diabetes is known to be associated with the progression of cognitive dysfunction and may amplify the risk of developing dementia. Scientists suggest that metabolic dysfunctions such as insulin resistance, inflammation, and poor sugar level control may all play a role in the brain alterations linked with type 2 diabetes, although exactly how this happens is not yet fully understood. Obesity can potentially pave the way for the development of further conditions, and it is connected with a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Moreover, obesity has a relationship with metabolic dysfunction and may worsen the metabolic abnormalities that are associated with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the metabolic dysfunction that is linked to obesity may be responsible for brain alterations and cognitive impairment, regardless of the presence of type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have found independent links between obesity and type 2 diabetes and changes in the brain. However, little is known about how obesity and type 2 diabetes jointly affect the brain. Yoon, Lyoo, Cho, and colleagues set out to explore the combined effects of obesity and type Continue reading >>

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (also known as type 2 diabetes) is a long-term metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin.[6] Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight loss.[3] Symptoms may also include increased hunger, feeling tired, and sores that do not heal.[3] Often symptoms come on slowly.[6] Long-term complications from high blood sugar include heart disease, strokes, diabetic retinopathy which can result in blindness, kidney failure, and poor blood flow in the limbs which may lead to amputations.[1] The sudden onset of hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state may occur; however, ketoacidosis is uncommon.[4][5] Type 2 diabetes primarily occurs as a result of obesity and lack of exercise.[1] Some people are more genetically at risk than others.[6] Type 2 diabetes makes up about 90% of cases of diabetes, with the other 10% due primarily to diabetes mellitus type 1 and gestational diabetes.[1] In diabetes mellitus type 1 there is a lower total level of insulin to control blood glucose, due to an autoimmune induced loss of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.[12][13] Diagnosis of diabetes is by blood tests such as fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, or glycated hemoglobin (A1C).[3] Type 2 diabetes is partly preventable by staying a normal weight, exercising regularly, and eating properly.[1] Treatment involves exercise and dietary changes.[1] If blood sugar levels are not adequately lowered, the medication metformin is typically recommended.[7][14] Many people may eventually also require insulin injections.[9] In those on insulin, routinely checking blood sugar levels is advised; however, this may not be needed in those taking pills.[15] Bariatri Continue reading >>

Why Does Obesity Cause Diabetes? You Asked Google – Here’s The Answer

‘Cause” is a strong word. It means that A results in B happening. Causality is also surprisingly difficult to prove. Most medical studies only show association between A and B, while causality often remains speculative and frustratingly elusive. Obesity and diabetes are no exception. There are many types of diabetes. All are unified by elevated levels of blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes accounts for less than 10% of cases and results from autoimmune destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas, which produce and release insulin. (In an autoimmune process, antibodies that normally target and fight infection instead target one’s own cells). Type 3c (secondary) diabetes can occur when there has been destruction of the pancreatic beta cells through some other process, such as excessive alcohol, inflammation or surgical resection. There are also many genetic forms of diabetes, each usually resulting from a single gene mutation that affects pancreatic function in some way. Finally, there is type 2 diabetes (T2D), which accounts for more than 90% of cases globally. Media reports of diabetes, particularly in the context of obesity, usually relate to T2D, the two terms often being used interchangeably. Only T2D appears to be associated with obesity. Epidemiological studies across the world have shown that the greater one’s body mass index (BMI), the greater the chance of developing T2D. However, this is not the same as saying that obesity causes T2D. The majority of people who are obese will never develop T2D – a fact that exposes the statement “obesity causes diabetes” as absurd. Rather than referring to obesity as a cause of diabetes, it is more accurate to frame the issue as one of association between obesity and T2D (which is incontrovertibly true). As we gain wei Continue reading >>

The Challenge Of Managing Coexistent Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity

The presence of obesity with type 2 diabetes increases morbidity and mortality from each condition Excess adiposity accentuates insulin resistance and complicates the treatment of type 2 diabetes Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists promote weight loss, whereas metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, and α glucosidase inhibitors are typically weight neutral The anabolic effects of increased insulin secretion and action restrict the benefits of treatment in obese patients New treatments should ideally reduce hyperglycaemia and excess adiposity Potential new treatments include analogues of intestinal and adipocyte hormones, inhibitors of renal glucose reabsorption and cellular glucocorticoid activation, and activators of cellular energy production This article is largely based on a search, focused on the treatment of hyperglycaemia, of original articles published between 2005 and 2010 using Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. The main search terms were hyperglycaemia, diabetes, diabesity, and obesity together with … Continue reading >>

Obesity? Diabetes? We’ve Been Set Up

When it comes to the nation’s growing obesity and diabetes epidemics, the more we know, the more the evidence points to one conclusion: We’ve been set up. Important findings about humanity’s past, about how we live and eat today, and even about how we typically treat type 2 diabetes — with medications that themselves induce weight gain — are providing clues that explain how the past two decades could see an explosion in overweight and obese Americans and skyrocketing cases of type 2 diabetes, which is usually closely tied to the problem. Harvard’s extensive research on the subject weaves a story of ancient humans who were both extraordinarily active and able to easily gain weight in times of plenty. It illuminates how a modern diet rich in refined carbohydrates and heavy in red meat has preyed on Paleolithic instincts, creating an obese nation, a health crisis, and what one researcher describes as a hard-to-escape cycle of weight gain, insulin resistance, and weight-retaining diabetic medication, leading to more pounds. “It’s not just a trap, it’s a trap and a downward spiral,” said Assistant Professor of Medicine Osama Hamdy, a physician at Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center and director of a groundbreaking weight loss program being replicated at Joslin affiliates around the world. Hamdy and hundreds of other Harvard investigators in recent decades have produced a dizzying array of findings on obesity and diabetes. Even a casual look at the years of research on the subject shows a slew of results on how lifestyle affects weight and how weight affects health. It shows new genes discovered, laser surgery to save diabetics’ eyesight, new diabetes drug candidates, and advances in using stem cells to replace the insulin-producing beta cells that Continue reading >>

Britain Is Facing Health 'time Bomb' As Obese Children Are Hit By Type 2 Diabetes

Official figures show that 621 youngsters across England and Wales now have the “entirely preventable” disease, up almost 14 per cent in a year. Victims of the condition – linked to obesity and traditionally associated with adults – include 15 children between the ages of five and nine. Experts last night demanded more Government action and warned that spending cuts are putting children’s health at risk. Fri, August 19, 2016 Diabetes is a common life-long health condition. There are 3.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 500,000 who are living undiagnosed with the condition. They claim the Government has slashed funding on public health by £531million over the last five years. Izzi Seccombe, who chairs the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, which published details of the shock increase, said the figures “show a hugely disturbing trend”. She said: “Obesity is usually linked with major health conditions later on in life, but already we are seeing the devastating consequences at an early age. "This highlights the need to take urgent action on this major public health time bomb.” Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: “It is dire that we have any children with Type 2 Diabetes. “It is brought on by obesity, so is entirely preventable. It is awful and shameful.” Libby Dowling of Diabetes UK, said: “It’s shocking children have to struggle with a condition that could have been prevented. The Government needs to take decisive action to make the healthy choice the easy choice – including stronger regulation on junk food marketing to children and the reformulation of foods to reduce sugar and saturated fat. “We need to make it as easy as possible for children and their famili Continue reading >>

Obesity And Diabetes

Doctors and researchers have found that obesity and diabetes are connected. Persons who are obese are at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes (also known as "insulin-resistant" or "adult-onset" diabetes), particularly if a close family member is affected with diabetes. Therefore, it becomes very important to maintain a healthy body weight throughout your life in order to protect yourself from developing a chronic disease like diabetes. As nurses associated with the Genetics of the Acadian People projects, we have been asked questions at public forums concerning obesity and diabetes. The following is a list of some of the most commonly asked questions, together with our answers and advice. Is obesity caused by a specific genetic defect? Researchers have not yet discovered a specific gene that causes obesity, although several genes are considered to be important in playing a part. However, we have come to understand that a person's genetic make-up can result in a predisposition to becoming obese. This means that a person may be particularly susceptible to becoming obese through experiencing risk factors in their life, like high calorie or high fat diets and lack of exercise. Your genetic make-up, which you have inherited from your parents, may contribute to your general body type, including how and where your body deposits fat in certain places such as buttocks or thighs. There seems to be a strong connection between abdominal fat and diabetes. What, then, is the major cause of obesity? The environment plays a much larger role in a person's likelihood of becoming obese than does any specific gene. By "environment," we mean not only what the outside world does to a person's body but also what enters a person's body through eating and drinking. The two main factors that Continue reading >>

Why Should I Stop Drinking Soda?

I don't see any reason why you should stop drinking soda completely if it's something you enjoy, but there are a good number of studies/arguments out there that would indicate it's bad for your health in various ways if you drink multiple sodas per day. If you're looking for encouragement not to drink soda however, you might want to watch this external video by Dr. Lustig. You can pick up the main gist of what he's saying just by watching the first 20 seconds while noting how the rest of his panel nods in full agreement with his somewhat wacky statement: Societal Control of Sugar Essential to Ease Public Health Burden Of course you might then say, "What if I drink artificially sweetened soda?" and that's trickier question. I don't know any of the actual research that's been done out there on this, but my "gut" tells me that if you're fooling your tastebuds and body all day long into thinking that you're consuming sugar when you're not... well... I could see that as having some pretty bad long term side effects. Try seltzer water or home-made iced tea with some lemon juice and just a LITTLE sugar added instead! The tea will have some of the stimulant effects of the sugar or caffeine you may be used to, and drinking it will provide the habitual satisfaction you may currently be accustomed to from drinking soda. - MJM Continue reading >>

The Link Between Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity May Have Finally Been Uncovered

Researchers at the Université de Genève have unravelled the cellular and molecular mechanisms linking obesity and insulin resistance. We have long known about a link between obesity and type 2 diabetes, but discovering the underlying mechanisms has proved difficult. A group of researchers at the Université de Genève, Switzerland, may have found a protein that links changes in the liver of obese individuals with insulin resistance. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Gamma (PTPR-γ) inhibits insulin receptors on liver cells, which could provide a new therapeutic target thanks to the establishment of a link between obesity and insulin resistance. The expansion of fat cells is a characteristic of obesity, which causes increased inflammatory signals that affect the liver. This inflammation activates nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kβ), which is implicated in diabetes. The researchers focused on PTPR-γ, which is a target of NF-kβ. After assessing human cohorts, the researchers found that PTPR-γ levels in the liver increase with inflammation, which could inhibit the action of insulin. The scientists followed these findings up, by modifying PTPR-γ expression in mice to see how its suppression and overexpression might affect insulin resistance. Mice lacking PTPR-γ, even on a high-calorie diet, did not develop insulin resistance, indicating that they were protected from diet-induced diabetes. When PTPR-γ expression was returned to normal in the liver, mice were once again prone to insulin resistance, highlighting the importance of the liver in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Worldwide, there are 650 million people affected by obesity, and it is now a major global health Continue reading >>

Obesity Isn't Sole Cause Of Type 2 Diabetes

HealthDay Reporter type 2 diabetes epidemic is commonly linked to being overweight or obese, excess weight isn't the only factor driving the trend, new research suggests. In just the past few months, at least three new studies have reported on other factors that may underlie a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. These factors include genetic mutations, a lesser-known hormone called amylin, as well as disturbances in the body's natural clock. The idea that type 2 diabetes isn't only caused by obesity isn't a new one. "Genetics is a big factor in type 2 diabetes. Certain ethnic groups get type 2 diabetes at much higher rates, and at much younger ages than other groups," said Dr. Christine Resta, an endocrinologist at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City. "Obesity is clearly part of type 2 diabetes for most people. But the diagnosis is probably about 50 percent luck, due to things like your family history, and 50 percent what you're doing, like your lifestyle. There are thin people who get type 2 diabetes, and some people -- no matter what they weigh -- just won't get diabetes," she explained. Type 2 diabetes is a disorder that causes sugar to build up in the blood. It develops as the body's cells become significantly resistant to insulin, making it difficult for those cells to use sugar for fuel. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps usher sugar into cells for energy. As a result, the pancreas produces more and more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas is no longer able to keep up with the demand for insulin. This is when type 2 occurs, according to the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Genes definitely play a role in type 2 diabetes, according to NIDDK. Family history and ethnicity also play a role. A sedentary li Continue reading >>

Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity: Twin Epidemics

Overview Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95% of the 25.8 million diabetes cases in the U.S1 Obesity is a major independent risk factor for developing the disease, and more than 90% of type 2 diabetics are overweight or obese2 Modest weight loss, as little as 5% of total body weight, can help to improve type 2 diabetes in patients who are overweight or obese3 Metabolic and bariatric surgery may result in resolution or improvement of type 2 diabetes independent of weight loss4 Prevalence Diabetes affects 8.3% of the total U.S. population (25.8 million people)5 18.8 million people have been diagnosed 7 million people are unaware they suffer from the disease About 95% of the diabetes population has type 2 diabetes6 Increases in type 2 diabetes cases across the country associated with higher obesity rates and rising age of population7 More than one-third (35.7%) of adults are obese; rate nearly tripled between 1960-20109 While children and adolescents are increasingly being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the CDC notes is it difficult to estimate the disease’s prevalence in this population because it can go undiagnosed for long periods of time10, 11 The rise in diabetes diagnoses is attributed to increasing childhood obesity rates, which have tripled since the 1980s, with approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children aged 2-19 suffering from obesity12 African-Americans and the elderly are disproportionately affected by diabetes13 18.7% of all African-Americans over twenty years old have diabetes, compared to 10.2% of whites 26.9% of Americans age 65 and older have diabetes, compared to 11.3% of adults over 20 Pre-Diabetes About 79 million Americans, or 35% of people 20 or older have pre-diabetes,14 while half of adults over 65 are affected by the disease15 Up to 70% of pati Continue reading >>