Weight loss in Early Adulthood Can Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Losing weight earlier in life can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

It is not new information that being overweight can increase one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is also known that being overweight from childhood significantly increases this risk. However, a new study shows that this increased risk can be reversed if the extra weight is lost by the age of 13 and kept off into early adulthood. With this new data, it is even more reason for overweight children to be encouraged to lose weight, in order to negate the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life. Being at risk of type 2 diabetes can be life-changing for anyone, regardless of age. Below we take a look at the risk factors of this disease.

While managing the disease is indeed something that one grows used to and becomes part of a new lifestyle, there are ways for type 2 diabetes prevention. There are many things to do to avoid reaching that stage (even if you have pre-diabetes).

There are many type 2 diabetes risk factors, and they can range anywhere from family history, to the way you manage your food intake and weight loss.

Although the risk of type 2 diabetes is more common and higher in adults, this disease has been increasingly affecting children due to the large obesity range in childhood in the modern times. This is why weight loss is one of the most fundamental factors in type 2 diabetes prevention.

Type 2 diabetes develops when our bodies become resistant to insulin, or when our pancreas stops producing enough quantities of this hormone.

To understand why this happens, one must look at all the possible type 2 diabetes risk factors that can make someone more prone to develop the disease. The most common are:

Being overweight or actually be considered obese
Being inactive or having very low activity levels as part of the routine
Having 45 years of age or more
When there is a family history of diabetes present
Suffering from low levels of good cholesterol
Having high levels of triglycerides
When one has had a history of heart disease or has suffered a stroke
In the case of women, suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome
Having suffered from gestational diabetes or given birth to a child weighting 9 lbs. or more
Suffering from high blood pressure
Being African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander

All of these factors can be considered risk of type 2 diabetes, and while some of them are unavoidable (family history, ethnicity, being over 45, etc.) the top two are things that can be easily adjusted in your life.

Recent medical studies have shown that lowering your weight in the first few years of your adult life, can actually lower your chances of developing the disease once you have reached and passed your 40s.

Carrying a heavier weight promotes the appliance of fatty tissue, which makes the cells more resistant to process insulin. In addition, being overweight triggers the appearance of fat deposits in your blood stream, which can lead – among many other issues – to heart failure.

Heart and blood vessel disease is one of the main type 2 diabetes complications that appear in patients that struggle with this ailment.

The second top cause, lack of activity, is another important risk of type 2 diabetes because becoming sedentary makes our bodies’ natural process more tedious and hard. With time, this leads to muscle loss, problems in your joints, irregular cardiovascular health, etc.

Adding at least 30 min. of extra activity to your day is a great way to prevent diseases that affect your heart, but also to promote diabetes and other illnesses. Think about taking the stairs instead of relying on the elevator, riding a bike (whether you prefer indoors or the outdoor scenery), taking a briskly walk in the afternoons or walking your dog for longer periods of time in the mornings.

Every little bit counts. And that is the great thing about being able to modify your routine, making small changes that will promote better health and a better lifestyle.