Diabetes is a disease that is not occurring according to the racial group or the color of the skin. There are many reasons why someone develops diabetes or high blood sugar level. One of the significant and dangerous reasons is obesity. 61% of all diabetes cases in the USA are related to body mass index and obesity. It stays the same for all racial groups and it doesn’t matter if you are a white or black. Being an African American only increases the chances of developing this disease. A study conducted revealed the shocking fact that half of the population in America is either suffering from diabetes or are in the pre-diabetic stage.

Obesity & Diabetes Risk – A Review

There are 2 types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes happens when the body does not produce enough insulin. This is often shown in the childhood or by the adolescent stage.

The Type 2 diabetes is an acquired one that can be prevented from happening. There are several factors contributing to their occurrence. Among those many factors is obesity that really stands out. The percentage of obesity causing diabetes is a whopping 80-82%. It is scary to know that people who fail to stay fit and manage their body are prone to this easily developing disease.

How Obesity Causes Diabetes?

The exact manner in which obesity triggers Type 2 diabetes is not conclusive. It is believed that obesity or people who are overweight or with disproportionate BMI are putting extra burden on the body that it is trying hard to adjust. The events prevent the body from processing the blood sugar level properly and develop resistance to the insulin in the blood. This leads to higher blood sugar level in the body. Here are the few possibilities by obesity is triggering type 2 diabetes.

Fat Causing Inflammations

The first sign towards obesity or being overweight is the abdominal fat. This fat can trigger certain inflammatory responses in the body. The pro-inflammatory chemicals are produced in the body that gradually makes the body less sensitive to insulin. The body cells end up being insulin resistant. Though the fat deposition in anywhere of the body can trigger the same response, it is most likely when there is excess abdominal fat.

The visceral fat or the belly fat can trigger the production of hormones named adipokines that can reduce the cell’s sensitivity to insulin.

Change In Fat Metabolism

The release of fat molecules into the blood and their crowding can trigger insulin resistance. This abnormal fat release is caused by the changed fat metabolism of the body. Prolonged obesity has this disruptive effect on the metabolism. It is also believed that obesity causes metabolic disruptions and that first causes pre-diabetic stage that later develop into diabetes.

The metabolic syndrome is a condition where the metabolism is completely disrupted with blood pressure, high blood sugar, abdominal fat, cholesterol imbalance etc occurring all at the same time. There could be at least 3 of these factors together to form this condition. If the high blood sugar level happens to be one among them, the person is more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. But this type of diabetes is completely preventable before it occurs.

Obesity Alone Is Not The Cause

Obesity is sure to blame for triggering the events that develop diabetes. There is another side to this that diabetes happens when the individual is genetically prone to this. Every person has different constitution for their bodies. People who are more prone to Type 2 diabetes will have a gene that weakens the sustainability of the insulin producing cells.

As a matter of fact, obesity makes the body cells less sensitive. The same can happen to the insulin producing pancreatic cells. The person’s genes decide how long these cells can sustain to produce more of insulin until they succumb to the ongoing pressure. When these cells fail in their resistance, the body cells become insulin resistant.

The stronger the pancreatic cells will be, lesser the chances of diabetes development under the tough and favorable conditions. This is why people with a family history are more likely to develop diabetes than others.
This is also why the African Americans have double the chances of diabetes development if they are obese, than the other races.

How Can You Manage Type 2 Diabetes?

Exercises, lowering blood pressure levels, controlled cholesterol levels and a balanced diet are the best natural way to manage Type 2 diabetes. There also are the natural remedies that are known to regulate the blood sugar level.

• Shedding weight comes first in the list. To lose weight you have to do at least 30 minutes of tough exercises. Start with low exercises and improve the stamina to do harder workouts to shed weight. Concentrate more to get a flat stomach for healthy results.
• Reduce carbohydrates in the diet and replace them with super foods for controlled blood sugar increase. This regulates the sugar level in blood.
• Say good-bye to unhealthy fats and adopt healthy fats in the diet. They help in managing all the factors related to diabetes. It controls the blood pressure and cholesterol.
• A healthy body can prevent the complications related to diabetes.

Conclusion

The condition of diabetes is the same for all, white or black. It is up to the individuals to manage the events that follow. It would only help in knowing if you are more prone to the disease or not. If you are, you better take proper measures to prevent the disease from happening. If you are already affected, you know what needs to do.[extoc headers=6]

Uma Pisharody