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If you’re overweight, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is six times higher than it is for people at a healthy body weight. But how your weight plays a role in whether you develop diabetes can be confusing.
Dr. Melita Tate and our board-certified providers at Grassroots Healthcare are committed to helping patients in Tulsa, Oklahoma, manage both diabetes and their weight with our expert holistic care.
We’ve created this helpful guide explaining the link between your weight and diabetes. Here’s what you need to know.
There’s no doubt that a link between obesity and diabetes exists. In fact, the two conditions exist together so often that researchers have coined the term “diabesity” to describe this growing health concern.
Diabesity isn’t an official medical diagnosis, but the term describes people who have both obesity and type 2 diabetes. In fact, over 90% of adults with type 2 diabetes are obese or overweight.
To understand the link between your weight and diabetes, it’s important to understand how type 2 diabetes works. Your body turns the foods you eat into glucose (sugar). It then uses this sugar to fuel your body.
Your pancreas manages how much sugar you have in your bloodstream. It does this by creating the hormone insulin. Insulin brings glucose to your muscles for immediate use or to your liver to store as fat that can be used for energy later.
When you’re overweight or obese, your liver fills with excess fat. This makes it difficult for the insulin to fit more glucose in the liver. As a result, the glucose stays in your blood, raising your blood sugar levels.
In addition, the rest of the cells in your body resist letting in glucose to be used for energy. This condition is called “insulin resistance,” and it leads to even more sugar floating in your bloodstream.
Your pancreas tries to lower your blood sugar level by making even more insulin. It can get overworked by this cycle, and eventually start making less and less insulin. This causes diabetes.
If you’re overweight, it’s not all bad news. By taking control of your weight, you can manage and even reverse type 2 diabetes.
At Grassroots Healthcare, we use a personalized, integrated approach to healthcare and wellness — including managing your weight or helping get diabetes under control. Here’s how we can help you:
Our providers understand the tremendous impact your weight has on your overall wellness. We also know that no two people are the same. That’s why we offer different approaches to weight management, including:
We may also recommend extra vitamin B12 to boost your metabolism and give you more energy. Your provider considers your overall health, any underlying conditions, hormone levels, food sensitivities, and nutritional deficiencies to create a personalized plan to help you succeed.
At Grassroots Healthcare, we’ve found success using a holistic approach to diabetes management. Getting your weight under control is a key step in managing your blood sugar.
Our team works to reduce your reliance on medications by educating you about the foods you eat and how they affect your blood sugar levels. And we help keep you on track with regular check-ins to monitor your health.
For more information about how your weight plays a role in diabetes or for help managing your health, schedule an appointment online or over the phone at Grassroots Healthcare in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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