Type 2 diabetes is more common in people who are overweight, according to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). Hence, the first goal is to make sure that you are at a healthy weight. Physical activity is key to fighting off diabetes, with the bonus of keeping your weight in check. The NIH Diabetes Prevention Program encourages everyone to exercise at least 30 minutes a day five times a week.
The NHS warned: “Around 22,000 people with diabetes die early each year.”
Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of preventable vision loss in people of working age, and the condition is a major contributor to:
- Kidney failure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
“There are currently five million people in England at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” said the NHS.
“If these trends continue, one in three people will be obese and one in ten will develop type 2 diabetes by 2034.”
Diabetes UK charity encourages people to measure their waist size to see if they are at risk for the condition.
“When you carry extra weight around your core, fat can build up around organs like the liver and pancreas,” Diabetes UK said.
“This can cause what is known as insulin resistance because the insulin cannot get through the fat.
“This means that the insulin your body is making is not working properly, and that increases your chances of having high blood sugar (sugar).”
To measure your waist, find the top of your hipbone and the bottom of your rib cage.
In the middle of these two points, place a flexible clothing measuring tape around your body.
For women, any waist measurement over 80 cm or more means that you must lose weight for your health.
For men, you need to lose weight if your waist is 90 cm or more.
