Ways Weight Loss Can Help Control Diabetes
There are many ways by which weight loss can help control diabetes. These include:
Improved Insulin Resistance
One of the effective ways by which weight loss can help control diabetes is by improving insulin resistance. In type 2 diabetes, the problem isn’t that insulin isn’t produced; it is that your body doesn’t respond properly to the insulin produced by the pancreas.
Hence, your blood glucose levels go up. A major risk factor for insulin resistance is obesity. Therefore, weight loss will help make the body more sensitive to insulin and allow insulin resistance to decrease. With improved insulin resistance, the body becomes more efficient in glycemic control and can use insulin more easily.
Improved A1C Results
The A1C test is used to measure the percentage of hemoglobin proteins in the blood that are coated with sugar. The higher your A1C level is, the poorer your glycemic control and the higher your risk of diabetes complications.
The A1C test provides a picture of your average blood glucose levels over the previous two to three months, and weight loss boosts insulin sensitivity which, in turn, allows you to get better A1C results.
Most experts recommend lifestyle change through diet and exercise as the best treatment for type 2 diabetes for a lot of reasons, including better levels of glycated hemoglobin. A series of studies have demonstrated that sticking with an effective weight loss program can improve your A1C test results within 6 to 12 months, depending on the plan.
Reduced Risk of Sleep Apnea
Individuals suffering from Diabetes have a higher chance of experiencing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that presents as abnormal breathing during sleep and about 70 percent of adults with type 2 diabetes have obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with a rise in blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones. Sleep loss also results in poor diet and lack of exercise, which further exacerbate problems with blood sugar control and heighten insulin resistance.
Lack of sleep can negatively impact diabetes management. The most effective way to reduce the risk of sleep apnea when controlling diabetes is to lose weight. Sleeping well may help you get better control of your blood sugar and improve your insulin sensitivity.
With a 10-15% reduction in body weight, the severity of sleep apnea can be greatly minimized in obese patients suffering from diabetes.
Improve hormone health
If your blood glucose is abnormal, it can devastate your endocrine system, producing hormones. Every hormone in the body, ranging from stress hormones, insulin, sex hormones, hormones that regulate appetite, and hormones linked to organ function, can be affected by blood glucose levels.
Losing weight can help improve your hormone health and better manage your diabetes. Diabetes is also associated with increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that contributes to inflammation, weight gain, and related metabolic illnesses.
However, by losing weight and improving your glycemic control, you can improve the health of your hormones.
Delay in the Progression of Diabetes
Another way weight loss helps control diabetes is that it delays the progression of the disease. Prediabetes is a term used for people with higher-than-normal blood sugar levels that aren’t high enough to be type 2 diabetes.
A significant percentage of the US population is still at the prediabetic stage and hasn’t advanced to type 2 diabetes, and with effective weight loss, they can reduce their risk of advancing to type 2 diabetes.
Losing weight as a prediabetic patient helps to reduce insulin resistance and may also delay or prevent complications from occurring.
Lower Blood Pressure Diabetes
High blood pressure is commonly seen in people with type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure can result in vascular wall damage. Diabetes causes damage by scarring the kidneys, which leads to salt and water retention, which in turn raises blood pressure.
Weight loss helps to control diabetic effects on blood pressure. Blood pressure often increases as weight increases, making weight loss one of the leading lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure.
If you’re overweight or obese with diabetes, losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce blood pressure.
Improve Cholesterol Levels
Diabetic patients tend to have lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and higher levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Having too much LDL (bad) cholesterol is referred to as dyslipidemia and this condition can lead to buildup on the damaged artery walls and more severe complications.
Obesity is a popular risk factor for high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. However, losing weight can lower your risk and improve your cholesterol levels.
In a study of people who were overweight or obese, those who lost 5 to 10 percent of their body weight significantly lowered their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in addition to lower fasting blood glucose levels. Those who lost more than 10 percent saw a better improvement than others.
Improved Mobility
People with type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of having mobility-related issues than people who don’t have the condition. These mobility-related issues increase as the level of obesity increases, which in turn causes physical inactivity to increase.
People with diabetes also often have bone and joint issues that can affect mobility, but with weight loss, all the mobility issues will be addressed, and you will be able to move around much better.
Boost Energy and Mood
Losing weight to control diabetes also helps boost energy and mood. When you lose weight for diabetes management, especially through exercise and diet, your body releases happy hormones that improve your mood and energy.
This can also help your mental health, improve your self-confidence, and allow you to make better choices regarding your health and lifestyle.
Prevent Diabetes Emergencies
Diabetes is associated with certain life-threatening emergencies that can be precipitated by excess weight gain in patients with diabetes. Losing weight can help prevent diabetic emergencies and help you better control your blood sugar level.
Decreased Risk for Vascular Damage
Obesity and insulin resistance seen in type 2 diabetes patients are associated with vascular inflammation. As obesity progresses, cells in the body that store fat become much more enlarged and stressed, resulting in inflammation.
Atherosclerosis, a disease marked by the buildup of plaque in the arteries, is usually seen as a result of stressed adipocytes-induced inflammation. Weight loss lowers insulin resistance and also minimizes stress, and results in less production of certain inflammatory molecules found in the blood.
Reduces the Risk of Cancer
A study showed that older women who lost at least 5% of their body weight lowered their chances of breast cancer by 12%. Hence, it’s always a good option to lose weight when managing diabetes.
Insulin resistance seen in type 2 diabetic patients is associated with a decrease in estrogen production in women, which may heighten the risk of certain cancers, like breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Losing excess weight helps improve hormone levels and functioning, which may reduce the risk of cancer in diabetic patients.
Bring Down Inflammation
Fat cells can release chemicals that irritate and inflame tissues all over the body and affect insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients. The resulting inflammation doesn’t only influence insulin resistance; it’s also associated with other health problems like arthritis, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Weight loss can lower inflammation and prevent all the associated complications.
Bring Down Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another form of body fat besides cholesterol. Triglycerides are particles in your body that transport fat for storage and energy. High levels of triglycerides in diabetic patients increase the risk of occurrence of heart attack or stroke. You can get closer to healthy levels and control diabetes if you lose weight.
Better healthspan
Healthspan is the period of the life that an individual spends in good health. Metabolic-related conditions like obesity, insulin resistance, and poor blood sugar control are all predictors of major age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Insulin resistance and waist circumference have also been shown to be associated with the shortening of blood cell chromosomes, which indicates aging.
All these indicate that insulin resistance and increased waist circumference contribute to decreased longevity and health span, which explains why health span improves with weight loss in diabetic patients.
Poor control of blood glucose contributes to the development of insulin resistance. Hence, having blood glucose in a healthy range by losing excess weight can help you stay healthier longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I control my blood sugar when trying to lose weight?
The best way to regulate your blood sugar when trying to lose weight is to exercise, eat more fiber and fewer carbohydrates, and check your blood sugar frequently.
Can losing weight fix diabetes?
Yes, losing weight can help fix diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes. Remission of diabetes is more likely to occur if you lose weight as soon as possible after your diabetes diagnosis.
How to promote weight loss in diabetes?
You can promote weight loss as a diabetic patient by exercising, eating healthy, low-calorie diets, and following a healthy lifestyle.