When overweight leads to diabetes type 2

At the turn of a routine screening, you will discover the beginnings of diabetes. Nothing alarming about your level of blood sugar (glucose) is a little higher than normal. It exceeds 1.26 grams / liter (instead of 1.20 g / l), even when you are fasting for eight hours. To lower your blood sugar, you should review your diet. For it is the trap of diabetes: we can live several years without experiencing any symptoms.

500 000 individuals are unaware they have diabetes

For proof, there are over two million with type 2 diabetes ... and reported 500 000 more who are unaware. Warning, this diabetes is occurring in adults - more and more children and adolescents become involved. It is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes. A progressive imbalance of blood glucose.

What is happening exactly?

- In a non-sick person: after meals, sugar from digested food pass into the blood: they raise the blood sugar. To make it back to its normal level, the pancreas secretes a hormone regulating insulin. It brings the blood sugar to the muscles and liver, major consumers of sugar.

- In the diabetic: for various reasons, insulin is no longer able to "do its job." In order to prevent the sugar accumulates in the blood, the pancreas works first overload. But after ten to twenty years, he is running out. Hyperglycemia (increased blood sugar) occurs. Poorly controlled, it might lead to complications in the heart, kidneys, eyes, nervous system.

Why become a diabetic? Several factors may be involved

- The genetic heritage: to have a father or a mother with diabetes increase(x2) the risk of the disease. But heredity is rarely enough in itself to trigger diabetes.

- Age: from 45 years, the risk increases.

- Pregnancy: pregnancy sometimes causes gestational diabetes. In general, it disappears after birth. But it may be a risk factor for subsequent diabetes in the mother, as the birth of a baby more than four kilos.

- High blood pressure.

- Tobacco.

- Physical inactivity combined with too greasy and too sweet diet. The danger is overweight, a major risk factor in the development of diabetes.

In recent years, much of abdominal obesity, the most daunting for health. Mainly located at the belly, fat releases "toxic" substances (fatty acids and inflammatory substances) in the blood. Result: These substances prevent the muscles and liver to absorb blood sugar. This leads to hyperglycemia.

The physician must identify abdominal obesity

It is therefore essential to identify the abdominal obesity. It is the role of your doctor. If you have recently increased your weight or are already overweight, it will calculate your body mass index (BMI), which is your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in meters) squared. Between 18 and 25, it is described as normal.

And most importantly, it will measure your waist size (maximum 80 cm in women, 94 cm for men). These two figures give an indication of your risk to become diabetic. If so, it will prescribe a dosage of blood glucose to check its level.

Some warning signs

You feel frequent desire to urinate, you suffer from repeated urinary tract infections, you have a thirst very important that renal disease may be a sign of diabetes. You should consult your doctor.

Cardiovascular screening should begin for you from the age of 40 to be renewed every two to three years. A simple blood taken to measure fasting blood glucose and to establish a balance of lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides). If the result shows a blood sugar greater than 1.10 g / liter, consult your doctor. In addition, during the visit of occupational medicine, a urinalysis is performed. If it reveals the presence of sugars, this means that diabetes is already installed.

In 20% of cases, diabetes is diagnosed when there are already complications. Indeed, the body supports persistent hyperglycaemia on years. Once diabetes is detected, several tests are needed periodically to prevent any side effects.

At the cardiovascular level

Diabetes weakens the coronary arteries, resulting in an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction). Prevention: Stop smoking, if necessary with the help of nicotine substitutes. Monitor your blood pressure. Take your regular dose blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

At eye level

Retinopathy, a major cause of visual decline and, more rarely, blindness can occur. Prevention: even if your view is correct, we need each year to go to an ophthalmologist to check our eyes.

At the kidney level

In case of diabetes, the capillaries of the kidneys filter less waste that accumulate in the blood. After several years, this can lead to chronic renal failure requiring dialysis. Prevention: restrict your intake of protein (less meat, eggs, cheese and meats). The doctor will prescribe an annual determination of creatinine in blood and serum albumin in the urine: this waste is disposed of in an abnormal way when there is renal disease.

At the nerves level

It is a neuropathy. We suffer in the lower limbs, especially the feet, pain, cramps, loss of sensitivity and infections. Prevention: Due to the insensitivity, your foot should be the subject of very careful care. We must avoid any infection which may result sometimes some complications like amputation, for instance.

Objective: reduce your blood sugar to near normal level. To achieve this, you must first change your lifestyle.

Watch your diet

If you need to lose weight, switch to a balanced low-calorie diet. Three meals are to be taken regularly. Reduce saturated fat (butter, lard, meats, cheeses) in favor of vegetable fats (olive oil, canola, sunflower, etc.)..

Beware of simple sugars!

Do not cut your sugar ration, but focus on the complex sugars such as starch and fiber (rice, pasta, dried vegetables ...). No snacks or simple sugars (soft drinks, jams, confectionery, ice cream), with the exception of dark chocolate (especially high cocoa content), which does not peak in blood sugar.
Watch the labels of commercial products. "Without sugar means no sugar added, the product may contain natural sugar (fructose or sorbitol), a" light"still contains sugar, the designation "light"has no legal definition.

Physical activity has proven its effectiveness in delaying or preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. If only because it promotes weight loss. It also reduces the cardiovascular risk factors.

Try walking or gardening

Depending on your form and your age, opt for one or two weekly sessions of sporting activity, a daily walk of about an hour, gardening, and cycling. After a few months, made the Assessment with your doctor. If these measures prove insufficient, you prescribe a medication. Continue your efforts, of course, food and sports.

A necessary follow-up

Every three to four months, the visit allows the physician to assess the development of diabetes: weight control, taking blood pressure, measurement of waist circumference, testing, etc.. And once a year, he will prescribe more extensive reviews (fasting lipid profile, search for albumin in urine, determination of creatinine, bottom of eye, EKG ...). All measures necessary to detect the risk of complications.