Obesity is arguably one of the major causes of diabetes, and diabetes, if not controlled in a timely manner, can lead to many complications and, in the most serious cases, even to death. Weight loss, on the other hand, is an important part of the prevention and control of diabetes and should not be ignored.
Prevention and control of obesity is a beneficial measure to control diabetes Diabetes usually coexists with obesity. The proportion of Chinese adults suffering from diabetes is 10.6%, about 113.9 million people, and the number of non-obese people suffering from diabetes is 41.5%. Among people with diabetes, surveys show that 65% are overweight or obese, or about 74.4 million people in China. Obesity has become the primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
The risk of diabetes is much greater in people with abdominal obesity than in those with hip obesity, and the ratio of waist/hip circumference is positively related to the incidence of diabetes. What is worrisome is that the age of diabetics is gradually advancing, with a significant increase seen clinically in adolescents and young adults, the largest number of whom are obese. Obesity can be combined with many metabolic disorders, including low glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia and atherosclerosis, which can often lead to diabetes.
Weight control measures for type 2 diabetes Among the modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes, obesity is the most important, and failure to reduce obesity can increase the risk of death from any cause. A weight loss of 5% to 7% in one year would have a significant benefit, i.e. a 25% reduction in mortality. Therefore, moderate to mild obesity can be lost through self-improvement lifestyle; moderately obese patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia can actively consider weight reduction surgery such as “stomach reduction”. In short, for obese diabetic patients, it is better to reduce weight in order to lower sugar, blood pressure and lipid regulation.