People who are overweight may have thought about losing weight. But if you also have diabetes or are at risk of developing it, it is even more urgent to lose weight because the extra weight can stress the body in a variety of ways.
“If I suddenly throw a bunch of gravel into the trunk of my car, you’re still going to be driving down the road at 110 miles per hour. But it may require the engine to ramp up. If you put 500 kilograms of weight in the car, the vehicle engine burden will be greater. If the weight continues to increase, the car may not drive properly,” said Dr. David Marrero, chairman of health care and education at the American Diabetes Association.
This may sound alarmist, but the truth is, how much extra weight can the trunk take? Data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute show that being overweight may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes.
The body’s “engine” is already complaining, so ditch the debris. You’d be surprised at the amazing changes you can make in your body by dropping a few kilos.
David said, “We found in our diabetes prevention and prediabetes study that modest weight loss significantly reduces the risk of diabetes, and a 7% weight loss is associated with a 60% reduction in the risk of diabetes. In fact, if you’re over 65 years old, the risk is reduced by more than 70 percent.”
But how can you do more than just lose weight and keep it off? The best way to lose weight is through a combination of exercise and a controlled diet.
Exercise
If you are overweight and have diabetes, or are at risk of developing it, it is imperative that you keep exercising.
Marillo said, “What exercise does for the body is it allows the body to bind or absorb insulin more efficiently.”
Insulin, produced by the pancreas, is a hormone that “unlocks” the cells that convert sugar from food into energy. “There are receptors for them in the body, and the more exercise you do, the more active the receptors are. The less exercise you do, the less active and responsive they are.” Marrero said.
If you really want to lose weight, then exercise has to be part of the overall plan, but consult your doctor before you officially do it.
The importance of diet
It’s easy to talk about losing weight, but it’s hard to implement and stick to it.
Lorena Drago, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Diabetes Educators, said, “It’s not a start-and-stop thing, like having an infection and then taking antibiotics. Imagine how every day for the rest of your life will change because of it.”
If you have diabetes, it can be even more difficult to regulate your diet. You have to monitor your diet every day, and you have to take insulin injections and check your blood sugar.
David said that when it comes to food, there are a lot of people who don’t know what’s good, what’s bad and what’s too much. He told the story of a woman at a diabetes seminar who complained that she had nothing for breakfast but coffee and muffins. Those two foods amounted to 1,600 calories. David said, “She met 7/8 of her dietary intake needs for the day with just a cup of coffee and a muffin.”
The best way to control weight loss is to monitor intake. Some studies have shown that if people start being conscious of their intake, they have a chance to better regulate their weight.”
What to eat
Low and David both like low-fat diets. Lo likes a Mediterranean-style diet that includes healthy fats from vegetable oils and reduced carbohydrate intake.
She said, “Check your carbohydrate intake. Look at the food sources of carbohydrates in your daily diet and then start reducing your intake, and by doing that, you can reduce calories immediately.”
The American Diabetes Association has some suggestions for “best food choices” that can be beneficial for everyone, whether they have diabetes or not.
Eat more vegetables
In particular, eat more non-starchy vegetables, not including potatoes, corn or peas, and check the salt content.
Whole grains
Consider whole-grain flours rather than refined grains and flours. Make sure half of the grains you eat are whole grains.
Low-fat protein
Eat fish at least 2 times a week and replace meat with beans or soy. When you eat meat, choose lean meat (pork tenderloin or beef tenderloin). When you eat chicken, don’t eat the skin.
Fruit
It’s best to eat fresh fruit. If you choose canned or frozen fruit, make sure there is no extra sugar added.
Fats
You can consume small amounts of healthy fats, such as those found in avocados (i.e., avocados), olives, nuts, or seeds. Avoid full-fat cheese and full-fat milk, and don’t eat regular butter or cream sauces. Give up those chips and greasy snacks!
Low says to also control your intake. For example, avocados are healthy, but not necessarily so if you sit there and eat 3 in a row.
Low says, “Whether or not a diet works depends largely on the person who is trying to lose weight. My personal view on this is that the best diets are the ones that ultimately stick. I think it’s been confirmed by many clinical trials.”
Taking the first step
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 21 million people in the United States have diabetes. More than 8 million of them don’t know they have it. Even more worrisome: about 37% of Americans aged 20 or older have prediabetes (i.e., blood sugar that is higher than normal, but not yet at the diabetes threshold).
The Harvard Health Report shows that about 90% of people with the most common type II diabetes are overweight or obese, and that obesity has become the number one risk factor for diabetes.
To reduce your risk, you need to change your diet, lose weight, and join a group that can help you make a plan and stick to it.
“It’s a battle, it’s not easy, and the answer is not simple. The answer is not to get patients to stop eating and then exercise all day,” said Low. “Sharing information and education has to fit the individual’s lifestyle, and that’s what I try to do.”
Loss of weight can be hard. But David said we shouldn’t be discouraged.
“They’ve been told that they have to lose a large portion of their body weight to make it work, and that’s not true. If you have prediabetes, then for every kilogram you lose, your risk of developing diabetes drops by 11%-12%.” That should be reason enough for you to “throw the gravel out of the trunk”.