Diabetes has no cure, although there are effective treatments. Left uncontrolled, it can cause blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage so severe that amputation can be required. Diabetes is classified into two types, juvenile onset and adult onset. Weight gain and diabetes, regardless of type, can worsen diabetes and cause dangerous complications.
While people who have juvenile onset diabetes are normally underweight when diagnosed, those with adult onset diabetes are usually overweight. This reflect the way the body uses insulin, a hormone manufactured in the pancreas. Insulin is required to distribute glucose throughout the body, where cells absorb it so it can be burned for energy. No insulin is produced by the pancreas in those with Type I. Normally, sufficient insulin is produced by those with Type II, but cells are incapable of using it to absorb the glucose. With either type, excess glucose accumulates in the bloodstream if not controlled.
Once patients with juvenile diabetes begin insulin treatments, most of them gain weight. The same is true for Type II diabetics who are treated with oral medications to control their blood sugar. Weight gain in diabetics is undesirable for several reasons, one of which is that fatty tissue is highly resistant to insulin. This drives up the blood sugar levels.
Often, those with Type II diabetes can control their condition without having to take medication. It is frequently enough to lose weight, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly. And while patients with Type I diabetes must take injections of insulin forever, they can still benefit from the same lifestyle.
Diabetics are at twice the risk of heart attack or stroke, both of which are further exacerbated by obesity. Lowering these risks by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and eating properly is thus twice as important for diabetics as the average population. Since nerve damage is a frequent complication, anything the diabetic can do to boost cardiovascular health is beneficial.
Adult onset diabetes can frequently be prevented or postponed through weight control and exercise. While Type I cannot be prevented, those who control their weight normally need less insulin than those who do not. More importantly, blood sugar levels are lowered, which reduces the potential for complications.
Diabetes and obesity usually work together in a dangerous partnership. Oral medications for diabetes and insulin injections cause weight gain. The extra pounds worsen diabetes, which then causes dosages to be increased, which then causes more weight to be gained. This makes it difficult for diabetics to control their weight. It is possible to do, however, although medical assistance may be required.
Get started eating healthy now and you can control sugar cravings overtime. Sugar Addiction is something that many people have difficulty with in a society like ours. Where we see ads for the latest sweet snacks all around us.