Diabesity: Obesity Can Cause Type 2 Diabetes – Here’s How To Overcome Them Both

Body fat is amazing. While it might seem like everyone is trying to get rid of it, how many of us take the time to appreciate it? Think of fat as an energy reserve – like storing extra propane tanks during BBQ season. Our ancestors were grateful for every additional pound they carried. Extra fat meant they’d survive longer when food was scarce. Lean people literally paid with their lives as those without body fat often starved to death. 

Because the ones carrying excess fat survived, they were able to breed. This meant that they could pass along their genes to their offspring. Although America’s growing obesity problem can’t be blamed on genetics alone, there’s no question that if you have heavy parents you are more likely to be heavy yourself.  

Did you know that a lean person who goes without food for two months will die of starvation? Death occurs once they have lost more than 35% of their body weight. A record holding obese faster, on the other hand, went over one year drinking only non-caloric liquids loaded with vitamins and minerals. Nearly as interesting, the faster lost over 60% of his body weight but didn’t suffer any adverse effects.

Fat had plenty of advantages in times of scarcity. Today fat is far less beneficial because most of us hunt only for bargains and do our gathering at the grocery store. Studies have linked fat to everything from cancer and heart disease to sleep disruptions. Being obese or even mildly overweight increases the risk of getting type 2 diabetes as well. However, the risks are not the same for every overweight person. Read on to learn what unique characteristics make diabetes more likely and how to prevent it. 

The Body Mass Index and Weight Gain in the U.S.

The body mass index or BMI is an extremely simple calculation. It relies on just two numbers: height and weight. Yet despite its simplicity, it’s an extremely accurate indicator of whether or not someone is at a healthy body weight. Although it’s inaccurate for bodybuilders and other muscular athletes (who while exceeding the recommended weight levels have low body fat percentages) for the vast majority a BMI calculation is very revealing. And what it reveals about the American population has grave implications for the future. 

According to the CDC, obesity affects over forty percent of all American adults. That means more than 100 million adults would have an obese BMI of over 30. On the BMI chart 18.5–24.9 is considered a normal, healthy weight. Overweight on the BMI index is 25–29.9. The percentage of adults in the U.S. with obesity has gone up by more than ten percentage points – rising from thirty percent in the year 2000. According to CDC calculations, every year obesity is responsible for almost $175 billion in medical expenditures. It’s easy to see why. The chronic conditions that take the most lives and cost the most money to fight have all been linked to obesity. Heart disease, the number one killer in America, is a direct result of obesity. So is hypertension and some cancers. Yet the chronic condition most associated with obesity is type 2 diabetes. 

Over 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are either obese or overweight. The good news is that shedding just a few pounds can delay the conditions onset. If you already have type 2 diabetes, lifestyle changes and weight loss can make it more manageable.

The first step if you are dealing with obesity is getting tested. That will provide accurate information about your risk of either developing type 2 diabetes or the best steps to manage the condition. Although testing A1C levels used to mean a long wait at the doctor’s office, it can now be done from the comfort of your living room. 

Kyla’s at-home test examines oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin – which is found in red blood cells. A1C levels are the percentage of hemoglobin with blood sugar attached to it. If the test shows more than 6.5% of hemoglobin has blood sugar attached, it indicates type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes and insulin resistance is when the percentage of attached blood sugar is between 5.7% and 6.4%, while normal blood sugar levels are below 5.7%.

Kyla’s at-home testing service is not just about learning your A1C levels. That’s because the same test provides information on your thyroid, cortisol, and hormonal levels along with information on your cholesterol and Vitamin D in addition to your risk for type 2 diabetes. Other companies often charge hundreds of dollars for similar tests. At Kyla, this primary care panel is just $99 and may even be covered by insurance.  

Just order the male or female primary care panel from Kyla and in a few days you’ll receive your test kit. Collect a sample and send it to Kyla postage-free. A few days later you’ll learn not only if your blood sugar levels are too high but also detailed information on your lung, heart, kidney and liver health. You’ll learn about vitamin deficiencies, cancer risk, and much more. After examining your results, you will be able to talk about them with one of Kyla’s doctors. 

That will help you create a plan to overcome both obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

The Obesity- Diabetes Connection

Among the medical community, the latest portmanteau is diabesity. This combination of the words diabetes and obesity was created because the two have an intrinsic link. Losing weight can resolve both conditions. “Diabesity is a disease with enormous potential to cause ill effects on the body in the long run,” endocrinologist Jay Waddadar, MD, explained in an article from the Cleveland Clinic. “Some people don’t understand the importance of taking the steps to manage it because they’re feeling well at the time of diagnosis. But that’s a big mistake. Diabesity is a silent disease that damages your body if it’s not controlled, even while you feel fine.”

The condition begins with insulin resistance and the body’s reaction to excessive amounts of glucose or sugar in your blood. The pancreas’ primary function is controlling this blood sugar. The organ accomplishes this task by creating and releasing insulin. In a healthy body with well-managed blood sugar, insulin will carry blood sugar to both your muscles for immediate energy and to your liver for storage. 

Diabetes blocks this vital process. First of all, the muscle cells refuse to let the blood sugar in. When the blood sugar travels to the liver, they find an organ so packed with fat that there’s no longer any room for glucose storage. The result? Sugar – or glucose – is stuck in the bloodstream with nowhere to go. In response, the pancreas releases even more insulin, hoping to drive the excess blood sugar into the liver. This is insulin resistance – the pancreas is doing its job but the hormone has become ineffective. 

Eventually the overtaxed pancreas can no longer create insulin. Overworked and underperforming, the organ’s inability leads to type 2 diabetes. Worse, without weight loss, excess sugar will continue to circulate in the blood. That means ever increasing (and increasingly expensive) medical interventions. Yet all of this has a simple if challenging solution.

Overcoming Diabesity 

According to the American Diabetes Association, type 2 diabetes affects a growing number of people. Around 38.4 million Americans currently have the condition. That’s more than one out of ten adults! The costs for treatment consume over $400 billion annually. Additionally, 40% of American adults between the ages of 18 and 44 are dealing with insulin resistance (and many of them are unaware of their elevated risk for becoming diabetic. Most people who are dealing with obesity will develop type 2 diabetes unless they make significant lifestyle changes including weight loss. 

People dealing with obesity are six times more likely to get type 2 diabetes than those who are at a normal weight on the BMI chart. Other factors can increase this risk including having a family history of the condition, being over 45 years of age, or belonging to an at-risk ethnic group including Asian, 

Hispanic/Latino, non-Hispanic Black American or Indian/Alaska Native. While being obese greatly increases your risk, some people can continue to produce large amounts of insulin without damaging the pancreas. 

The mechanism that leads to type 2 diabetes has been widely studied. Yet the connection is still not completely understood. When excess body fat is stored, it leads not only to insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes but also increased triglycerides and low amounts of the so-called good cholesterol HDL. Along with these conditions, people with excessive amounts of belly fat are also at greater risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 

Insulin-producing beta cells that form clusters in the pancreas are some 50% greater in people with obesity than in people who are lean. However, because these cells die at a faster rate in those with obesity, the volume of beta cells is actually lower in those with type 2 diabetes than in those who are lean and do not have the condition. 

This focus on insulin-producing beta cells is vital for good health. A small percentage of overweight people continue to have healthy, functioning beta cells but for most prediabetes is initiated by their accumulation and rapid demise. According to a recent study, “Decreasing body fat mass by inducing a negative energy balance, not by surgical removal, can ameliorate or normalize obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction and can even achieve diabetes remission if there is adequate restoration of beta-cell function.” In other words, exercise and a healthy diet can resolve the issue but weight loss surgery will not. 

For people dealing with type 2 diabetes and obesity, medication won’t resolve the problem. In fact, most obese patients will need more than one medication. However, it’s possible to reverse course as endocrinologist Dr. Waddadar explains, “…if you lose weight, you may do fine with just one medication or even go off medication entirely.” 

In fact just a simple reduction of five percent of your body weight can improve the condition. It’s not easy. Lifestyle changes to promote weight loss include eating a plant-based, low-carb diet with limited sugar, salt, and processed food. It means getting more active – like taking brisk walks, lifting weights or riding a bike.

It’s not easy to overcome diabesity. Kyla can help with insights into your health through AI analytics and advanced testing. By tracking vital health indicators like primary care and hormone levels, you’ll learn how your lifestyle affects your body. 

It’s easy to monitor your data regularly thanks to the Kyla app which provides a visual representation of your progress through graphs and charts. By utilizing the Kyla app’s health assessment, you will learn about more than just weight loss. You’ll also acquire the skills to lengthen not just your lifespan but your healthspan — those added years of a long and healthy life. Download the Kyla app and start extending your healthspan today.

Source:

1. “Calculate Your Body Mass Index,” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
2. “Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity,” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. May 2023. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/health-risks
3. Klein, Samuel et al. “Why does obesity cause diabetes?.” Cell Metabolism January 4, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8740746/
4. “Diabesity: How Obesity Is Related to Diabetes,” Cleveland Clinic. November 8, 2021. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/diabesity-the-connection-between-obesity-and-diabetes
5. Faley, Katie. “Don’t ignore the early signs of diabetes,”OSF Healthcare. May 2, 2023. https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/dont-ignore-the-signs-of-diabetes/
6. Rowley, William R et al. “Diabetes 2030: Insights from Yesterday, Today, and Future Trends.” Population health management. February 1, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5278808/
7. “Statistics About Diabetes: Overall numbers,’ American Diabetes Association. November 2, 2023. https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes
8. “Diabetes: Facts & figures,” International Diabetes Federation. https://idf.org/about-diabetes/diabetes-facts-figures/
9. Freeman AM, Acevedo LA, Pennings N. Insulin Resistance. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507839/