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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What is the association between obesity and diabetes?

    Related Topics
    Obesity Weight Management
    • 2 answers
    • Dr Rebecca Reynolds
    • Arlene Normand
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  • Dr Rebecca Reynolds

    Nutritionist

    Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds, PhD (Dr Bec) Personable and ethical registered nutritionist (RNutr) and lecturer at UNSW Australia in lifestyle and health. Regular consultant to the … View Profile

    Hi there,

    Type 2 diabetes (or “lifestyle” diabetes) often follows obesity (especially apple-shaped obesity, where fat mostly accumulates around the middle) after a lag time of a few years.  This is because in obesity, excess fat tissue alters the body's metabolism of glucose via insulin - the body can become more “insulin resistant”.  Over time, this can stress an organ called the pancreas so that it doesn't produce insulin properly.

    More here: http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/Understanding-Diabetes/What-is-Diabetes/Type-2-Diabetes/

    Let me know if you need any more information.

    In health and happiness,
    Dr B

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  • Arlene Normand

    Dietitian

    Arlene is a registered practising dietitian, with a private practice in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, and has built a strong business over the last … View Profile

    There a Link Between Obesity and Diabetes?Of the people diagnosed with type II diabetes, about 80 to 90 percent are also diagnosed as obese. This fact provides an interesting clue to the link between diabetes and obesity. Understanding what causes the disease will hopefully allow us to prevent diabetes in the future.

    Being overweight places extra stress on your body in a variety of ways, including your body’s ability to maintain proper blood glucose levels. In fact, being overweight can cause your body to become resistant to insulin. If you already have diabetes, this means you will need to take even more insulin to get sugar into your cells. And if you don’t have diabetes, the prolonged effects of the insulin resistance can eventually cause you to develop the disease.

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