Did you know that there are other physiological factors besides your diet that can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition in which your blood sugar levels rise due to insulin resistance or because your body does not produce enough of it for sugar levels to be regulated. If left untreated, this condition can cause long-term damage to your body.
However, some people can live with the disease for up to ten years before being diagnosed because the disease may not show any signs.
Diabetes UK has urged people to know their risk of diabetes by being aware of the things that can increase their chances of developing it, such as waist circumference, blood pressure and weight.
These three measurements can determine how high your risk is and, in most cases, can also be reversed with simple lifestyle changes.
Waist measurement
Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with being generally overweight, but even people with a low or healthy BMI can develop the disease.
Diabetes UK noted that regardless of your overall weight, carrying a little extra around your waist can be a major warning sign.
“Carrying extra weight around your waist means that fat can build up around organs, such as your liver and pancreas. This can cause something called insulin resistance, because the insulin cannot penetrate the fat,” they explained.
A healthy waist size is smaller than:
• 80 cm (31.5 inches) for all women
• 94 cm (37 inches) for most men
Blood pressure
High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, but it can increase the risk of many health problems, from heart attacks to diabetes.
Blood pressure can be greatly affected by your diet. Avoiding salt, alcohol and caffeine can help you manage your health. Other lifestyle factors that influence this include smoking, stress and obesity.
Weight
Diabetes UK notes, “Living with overweight or obesity alone does not cause type 2 diabetes as many people think, but it is one of the factors that can increase the risk. This misunderstanding leads to unfair judgment and shame (stigma) that prevents people from going to health care to get the help they need to lower their risk of type 2 diabetes.”
