Type 2 diabetes is a common but serious condition where your blood sugar (glucose) levels are too high. Approximately 1 in 10 adults in the UK have the condition. While it's often linked to being overweight, it's important to understand that there's more to the story. Let's take a closer look.
Blood sugar levels become too high because your body struggles to use a hormone called insulin effectively. Insulin acts like a key, unlocking your cells to let sugar in for energy. In type 2 diabetes, the 'lock' gets rusty, and the key (insulin) doesn't work as well. This leads to two main problems:
Insulin resistance and reduced insulin production create a vicious cycle in type 2 diabetes. The good news is that this cycle can be broken (more on that after the next section).
It is often said that type 2 diabetes is linked to overweight and obesity. However, 3 out of 4 people who are very overweight do not have type 2 diabetes, and about 1 in 10 people have it despite having what is considered to be a normal BMI (body mass index). You might be wondering, "Why do some people get type 2 diabetes when they are not very overweight, whilst others who are much heavier don't?" The answer lies in your 'personal fat threshold'.
Think of your body like a bathtub. It can comfortably hold a certain amount of fat. But, if you exceed this threshold, the excess fat starts to "overflow" and accumulate in places it shouldn't – like your liver and pancreas. This leads to the problems of insulin resistance and decreased production mentioned above.
Your personal fat threshold is unique to you and largely determined by your genes. Some people have a naturally higher threshold, while others have a lower one. This explains why some individuals can develop type 2 diabetes even if they are only mildly overweight, whilst others who are severely overweight do not have diabetes.
In a groundbreaking study run in Scotland, researchers investigated whether type 2 diabetes could be reversed through weight loss. Study volunteers were put on a low-calorie diet by nurses and dietitians for 12 weeks followed by support to maintain the weight loss. At the 1-year mark, an impressive 46% of those in the weight loss group achieved remission from type 2 diabetes, meaning their blood sugar levels returned to normal without medication. The group lost an average of 10kg (nearly 2 stone), and of those who lost 15kg (2 and a half stone) or more, 9 out of 10 got their diabetes into remission.
Losing weight is like pulling the plug on that overflowing bathtub. It reduces fat in your liver and pancreas, improving your body's ability to use and produce insulin, and can potentially put your diabetes into remission.
Ready to take control of your type 2 diabetes? Head over to the remission page to learn more about the NHS Tayside programme!
