Obesity has become one of the biggest health issues around the world, and it’s closely connected with type 2 diabetes. People who are obese are at a much higher risk of developing this condition, but many might not understand why this happens.
Research studies over the years have provided clear evidence that excess body weight is one of the main triggers for type 2 diabetes.
This review will explain how obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes, using research evidence in simple terms to help people without a science background understand the connection.
In type 2 diabetes, the body either becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar, or it doesn’t produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. Obesity is a leading factor that increases the chance of insulin resistance.
Several research studies have shown that people with high body fat, particularly around the belly area, often have cells that don’t respond properly to insulin. This means their blood sugar levels rise, leading to type 2 diabetes.
One study conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School found that obese individuals are up to 80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people who maintain a healthy weight.
This statistic highlights how closely linked these two conditions are. When the body stores more fat, especially in and around organs, it interferes with insulin’s ability to do its job effectively.
Imagine insulin as a key that opens the doors for sugar to enter cells. When someone is obese, these “locks” on the cells become rusty, and the key (insulin) no longer works as it should.
Obesity also increases inflammation in the body, which scientists believe plays a significant role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Inflammation is like a fire inside the body that burns quietly.
Over time, this constant state of inflammation can damage cells, including those responsible for insulin function. A 2019 study published in The Lancethighlighted how obesity causes low-level, chronic inflammation, which disrupts the body’s ability to handle blood sugar properly.
This inflammation is not something that a person feels physically, but it is occurring silently and gradually damaging the body’s internal systems.
The type of fat in a person’s body also matters. Research has shown that visceral fat (fat stored around internal organs like the liver and pancreas) is more harmful than fat just under the skin.
A study from the University of Texas found that visceral fat releases certain chemicals and hormones that disrupt normal insulin action, making it even more likely for someone to develop diabetes.
Another factor is that obesity makes it harder for the pancreas to keep up with the body’s insulin needs. The pancreas is like a factory that produces insulin. When someone gains a lot of weight, this factory has to work overtime to produce extra insulin.
Over time, it becomes exhausted and can’t keep up with the demand, which leads to high blood sugar levels. This was shown in a 2017 study from the University of Cambridge, where researchers observed how obese patients had more stress on their pancreas, increasing their risk of diabetes.
Researchers have also pointed out that genetics can play a role in the connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes. People with a family history of diabetes are more likely to develop it themselves, and being obese can push them over the edge into having the disease.
For example, a study in Diabetes Care showed that the combination of obesity and a family history of diabetes greatly increased the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
But it’s not all bad news. Many studies have also shown that losing weight can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, even for those who are genetically predisposed to it.
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicinefound that losing just 5-10% of body weight can lower the risk of diabetes by nearly 60% in people who are at high risk.
This highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, not just for overall well-being, but also to avoid life-altering diseases like diabetes.
In conclusion, there is strong scientific evidence linking obesity to a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Excess body weight, especially around the organs, makes it harder for insulin to function properly and leads to chronic inflammation, which further disrupts the body’s ability to handle blood sugar.
The good news is that even small amounts of weight loss can have a big impact on reducing this risk. Understanding the connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes can help people take proactive steps towards healthier lives.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight .
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies that Mediterranean diet can reduce belly fat much better, and Keto diet could help control body weight and blood sugar in diabetes.
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