Obesity And Diabetes: Avoiding A Fatal Combination

Obesity and diabetes are two of the most common diseases among Americans. According to studies, about 61% of the population in the US is considered obese or overweight and most of these people are also suffering from diabetes. Experts have expressed that obesity and diabetes go hand in hand as the glucose levels of people who are overweight tend to be high.

In most cases, people who are obese develop glucose intolerance in the long run making them prone to diabetes. If you are one of those people who are overweight, you must be on the alert of the signs and symptoms of diabetes and make sure that you do everything to keep your weight down to its ideal level. Always remember that you can easily prevent obesity and diabetes if you put your heart and mind to it.

Diet Therapy

One of the best ways to avoid obesity and diabetes is to start taking a serious look into what you eat everyday. If you have been taking everything for granted in the past and eat whatever you please, you should start to control your impulses and start eating healthy. Keep a low calorie diet and eat plenty of food that is filled with soluble fibers such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

According to experts, fiber helps speed up the time required for the food to pass through the digestive tracks and increases the metabolic rate of the person. Fiber also absorbs water thus you will feel full for a longer period of time. Since fiber will make you feel full for a longer period of time, you will not feel the urge to eat snacks constantly. In fact, you may still feel a bit full until the next meal time that you end up eating lesser amount of food.

Physical Activity

Physical activity can prevent obesity and diabetes. According to experts, proper diet and exercise are very important if you want to stay healthy and fit. When doing exercise, you should start moderately. Do not go directly on that high impact exercise on the first day!

Start by exercising for 30-45 minutes at least three times a week. Give yourself time to adjust to your exercise routine especially if you have been leading a sedentary life before you decided to do some exercise. Note that your body needs to adjust physically so take a few days to adjust. Once your body has adapted to the exercise routine, you can increase the intensity of your exercise and bring it to the next level.

Malnutrition and Obesity Can Co-Exist

Malnutrition and obesity? Talk about an unlikely combination, but I can attest that these two problems can exist in the same body.

I’ve never been delighted to visit the doctor. Since I’ve gained weight, I’ve noticed that everything from diabetes to strep throat has been blamed on my obesity. I was sure the doctor was going to address my exhaustion by urging me, yet again, to lose weight. Instead, she looked at my lab results and said, “Do you know you’re severely malnourished?”

“Malnourished? I’ve got to way at least 250 pounds!”

“Actually, it’s 262 this visit. But you’re still malnourished.”

That was the first time I learned that malnutrition and obesity can go hand in hand.

The truth is, there are many people in the United States who exhibit signs of both malnutrition and obesity. This is true for several reasons. The top two, as well as possible solutions, are discussed in this article.

#1. Lifestyle choices

I have friends who swear they got fat eating nothing but carrots and celery. For all I know, they may be telling the absolute truth. But most of us got fat eating foods that aren’t particularly good for us. Too many fast food hamburgers, too many hot fudge sundaes, and too many fries smothered in cheddar cheese and served with ice cold beer take their toll on our waistlines. The problem is, none of these foods are particularly nourishing. The calories we’re getting are empty, so while we may grow obese from this diet, we will also be severely malnourished.

#2. The Diet Industry

If any other industry took in as much money as the diet industry does and showed so few results, they would be run out of town on a rail. But for some reason, we are willing to tolerate an industry that tells us to take unproven and potentially lethal medications, fill up on high calorie and high sugar shakes instead of fruits and vegetables, cut entire food groups out of our diet, and eat fat until our arteries are so clogged our hearts can barely beat. Again, few of these diet industry foods provide the real nourishment we need to be healthy. And, since most people quickly regain the weight they have lost while dieting, we again see malnutrition and obesity co-existing in the same individual.

If you’re going to be obese—and many of us are due to medications, hormonal conditions, food choices, and plain old luck of the genetic draw—then at least be obese and well nourished. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) you should be getting the following nutrients in your diet: at least six servings of bread (whole wheat if possible), rice, pasta; at least three servings of vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables; and at least two servings of fruits, dairy products, meat/protein products. You are also allotted about two hundred calories that are the nutritional equivalent of “mad money.” In other words, you don’t have to abandon foods you love entirely; just cut back on the amount you meat every day.

Malnutrition and obesity can make you feel exhausted, queasy, weak, and depressed. If you improve your eating habits, even if you don’t shed a pound, you’re practically guaranteed to feel better just because your body is finally getting the nutrition it has craved all along.