
Posted October 01, 2018 05:23:17As the world’s population ages, so too will its rates of obesity and diabetes.
But with the prevalence of obesity, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and a number of other chronic conditions, it’s clear that a lot of the world is at risk of catching the “precarious years.”
In a new study, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that while the risk is still low, the rates of people dying of Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes are increasing.
That’s because diabetes has evolved over the past several decades, and people have gotten fatter.
In a 2015 study, the CDC estimated that there were nearly 40 million Americans with diabetes, making it the third-leading preventable cause of death among people between the ages of 25 and 54.
“The data is pretty clear: obesity, and the type of fat we’re putting in our bodies, has the ability to cause diabetes,” says coauthor Dr. Peter A. Cohen, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard.
Cohen and his colleagues looked at data from a study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is used to track the nation’s population.
While it wasn’t a large study, it found that people who were obese had a 25% higher risk of diabetes than those who were not.
“People who were leaner, were less likely to be obese and they were less susceptible to developing diabetes,” Cohen says.
And while the data didn’t show a direct link between obesity and Type 2 or Type 1, it did show that obese people were more likely to develop Type 2.
“If you have a person who’s obese, they have more diabetes and they are more likely than their less obese peers to develop diabetes,” he says.
“And if they do develop diabetes, they are less likely than non-obese people to live longer than their peers.”
What’s more, the researchers found that obese adults were at a higher risk for developing Type 1.
In the current study, they also looked at obesity rates for people between 25 and 34.
The results were the same, Cohen says: “If you are obese, your risk for diabetes is much higher than if you are not.”
What causes Type 2?
In general, obesity is a combination of genetics, diet, and lifestyle.
According to Cohen, people who are obese tend to have more genes that cause insulin resistance, which increases the amount of insulin people need to produce to control blood sugar levels.
And the more insulin you have, the more likely you are to develop type 2 diabetes.
“This means that if you have obesity and a lot more genes associated with it, you’re at a greater risk for Type 2,” Cohen explains.
“Obesity is the most common metabolic syndrome in adults, and is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease and type 2 Diabetes,” says Dr. James L. Ostroff, a cardiologist and professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“It’s an early-stage metabolic syndrome, and it is associated with a higher mortality rate.”
So why are people so susceptible to Type 2 when they’ve got so many more genes?
“Obese people are more susceptible to all kinds of things that can increase the risk for metabolic syndrome,” Cohen points out.
“The more fat you have and the more sugar you’re putting into your body, the higher the risk.”
Obesity and Type II diabetes are a combination.
As you grow up, your genes can affect your metabolism in subtle ways.
It can be linked to genetics, and your genes may affect your body weight, and how much fat you eat and how many calories you burn.
It also has an effect on your insulin levels, which in turn can lead to the production of more insulin.
“Insulin is your brain’s way of telling you when to eat, and you’re going to be eating more calories,” Cohen said.
“So if your insulin level is low, your body is going to go to work at a faster rate and you’ll be eating less and not being able to function as efficiently as you normally would.”
Insulin also controls blood sugar, which is a critical factor in controlling your body’s metabolism and managing your health.
But because your body can’t produce enough insulin, it can’t control your blood sugar.
“If the insulin levels are too low, you get a metabolic syndrome and the body’s inability to use insulin as effectively, which can lead you to obesity and other chronic health conditions,” Cohen added.
What can you do to reduce your risk?
“There are several things that you can do to lower your risk of Type II,” says Cohen.
“First, you need to eat a healthy diet.
And if you’re obese, eating a low-fat diet is the way to go.
“
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, like spinach and be mindful of how much