The Role of Morbid Obesity in Diabetes: It’s no secret – the American population is growing. This growth is not just in numbers, but also in total size. New reports indicate that 1/5th of all Type 2 diabetics are morbidly obese. What’s the cause for this growth and how can we make changes?
DiabetesInControl suggests, “Among the reasons for the increase in obesity among diabetics and the overall population are inexpensive food, larger portion sizes and consumption of sugary soda.”
That seems pretty straightforward and you have to admit there are restaurants that seem to provide a portion large enough to feed a small country, but the choice as to what we eat and how much we consume is ultimately ours to make.
As to the numbers DiabetesInControl reports, “62.4 percent of U.S. adults with Type 2 diabetes are obese, and 20.7 percent are morbidly obese. Among African American adults with Type 2 diabetes, 1 in 3 is morbidly obese.”
Dr. Holly Kramer is a kidney specialist and lead author of the report cited in DiabetesInControl. Kramer believes there are, “substantial public health implications,” in these findings. Kramer said, “Between the survey periods 1976-1980 and 2005-2006, there was a 141 percent increase in the rate of morbid obesity among adults with Type 2 diabetes.”
Mosby’s Medical Dictionary describes morbid obesity as, “an excess of body fat, or weight of 100 pounds over ideal body weight, that increases the risk of developing cardiac and endocrine disturbances, including coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, as well as some kinds of cancer.”
This condition tends to propel a diabetic forward into advanced medical need and at the same time projects an inability to manage health and wellness without intervention.
DiabetesInControl suggests, “Diabetics already are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, and obesity further increases this risk, especially among women. Obesity also increases other diabetes complications, including end-stage kidney disease. Other obesity complications include sleep-disordered breathing, arthritis and fatty liver disease.” This can add to the stress of attempting to manage your diabetes on your own.
TopNews.co.uk suggests a secondary indicator of diabetes potential. “Recent research has revealed that people who snore heavily and frequently are at least 50% more at risk of developing diabetes than those who sleep quietly. As per the study, which was undertaken at the Yale University in US to study a ‘snoring-related condition called sleep apnea’, people who snore regularly are more prone to experiencing changes in the body’s metabolism and this can lead to diabetes,” it reported.
The common points of reversal for those moving towards diabetes are to reduce portion size (remember the stomach was designed to hold food the equivalent size of your fist) and to exercise. These two seem easy enough, yet the stress of 21st century living can make self-control and body discipline a difficult prospect for most. Sometimes the change you need to make would be beneficial for your entire family. By making health objectives a family mission you could end up with a scenario where family members work to keep each other accountable for wise choices and may spur each other into improved levels of physical activity. One alternative for those who are morbidly obese is gastric bypass surgery, but many physicians view this alternative as a last resort.