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The risk of diabetes is strongly associated with obesity, and even a modest weight loss has been reported to substantially decrease the diabetic risk. According

The risk of diabetes is strongly associated with obesity, and even a modest weight loss has been reported to substantially decrease the diabetic risk. According to statistics from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 55% of diabetic patients are obese and 85% are overweight - [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900712000731 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900712... ] Is it the drug companies or the sugary food makers running the racket?

nightski 11y ago
Ahh, statistics. How do the 55% or 85% numbers compare with the population as a whole? Is it a significant increase? Is there evidence of a statistically significant correlation between obesity and being overweight? Are there any factors that might be involved that are also correlated with obesity but that might be the true cause? PS - Study recommends a ketogenic diet which I am very much in favor for. It has done wonders for me (ymmv). But I am still on the fence about being "overweight" being a direct cause of diabetes and not an effect.
- DenisM 11y ago
  >I am still on the fence about being "overweight" being a direct cause of diabetes and not an effect. The parent did not bring causation into the discussion, you did. You're right to doubt it. Metabolic syndrome is the common theme http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms and it likely leads to both obesity and diabetes, among many other ailments.
  - ferrari8608 11y ago
    Metabolic syndrome includes obesity and diabetes along with heart disease, cancer, and a few other conditions. It is not a cause but rather the result.
  - nightski 11y ago
    I interpreted "even a modest weight loss has been reported to substantially decrease the diabetic risk" as causation. But you are right, he did not say it directly.
caseydurfee 11y ago
Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is not caused by obesity. Most Type II diabetics do not take insulin.
- tosseraccount 11y ago
  Does insulin immediately make you think of type 1 diabetes? Think again. Between 30 and 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes take insulin. In fact, there are more people with type 2 diabetes who take insulin than type 1 because of the much larger number of people with type 2. - http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/medication/insulin/insulin-and-type-2-diabetes-what-you-should-know http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/medication/insulin/insul... Of course the type 1 disease which is ~10% of diabetes is different.
  - jacalata 11y ago
    So...60-70% of Type II patients don't take insulin? Sounds like "most" to me.
pascalmemories 11y ago
You're conflating a whole range of issues about diabetes into a single, misleading, factor. I don't know if it's intentional misrepresentation or genuine ignorance on your part. Type 1 diabetes is not associated with being overweight and weight loss does not help. Indeed, rapid weight loss is often an early indication of the condition. Treatment with insulin (the only method available) typically results in weight gain, as the body recovers due to the newly available injected insulin. Often these patients start at normal weight range (i.e. BMI < 25) and are often substantially below typical weights prior to development of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes has strong genetic factors and substantial evidence shows these, combined with weight and some other factors of diet, lead to an expression as diabetes. In these cases, some people have had significant improvements in their conditions due to calorie restriction (leading to weight loss but often it also means they've switched to a healthier diet in the process and that also helps). The mechanisms here are believed to be due to improved sensitivity to insulin which is still being naturally produced. Various ratios of diabetes are quoted, but generally 1 in 20 of the white european population has diabetes and 1 in 20 of those has type 1 (and the other 19 type 2). Figures for Indian/Pakistani origin people are dramatically different if they move to Europe or North America and research suggests this is due to very different foods consumed [the 'western' versions being significantly less healthy than those from origin countries]. Much higher numbers of type 2 diabetes are found in these populations (reinforcing the factors as both genetics and types of food are involved). Other population groups differ too. Treatments for diabetes typically create weight control issues as increased insulin or sensitivity to insulin promotes body fat storage. It's untrue (and frankly verging on offensive) to simply blame diabetics for their condition because they are obese or overweight. Addressing and treating the condition is significantly more complex and weight control may be one of the few elements the patient has any input to, while many other factors are entirely outwith their control and they bear no culpability for.
- GirlProgrammer 11y ago
  The article talked about type-2 patients. Our NIH estimates that 60% of them would be cured if they simply ate less: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17227327 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17227327
- 11y ago
zwetan 11y ago
so misinformed ... what about a 5yo kid who just got diagnosed with diabetes type 1 ? also did you know that when you take insulin, it is the insulin that have the tendency to make you overweight ? Correlation does not imply causation, go educate yourself about diabetes.

nightski 11y ago

Ahh, statistics. How do the 55% or 85% numbers compare with the population as a whole? Is it a significant increase? Is there evidence of a statistically significant correlation between obesity and being overweight? Are there any factors that might be involved that are also correlated with obesity but that might be the true cause? PS - Study recommends a ketogenic diet which I am very much in favor for. It has done wonders for me (ymmv). But I am still on the fence about being "overweight" being a direct cause of diabetes and not an effect.

DenisM 11y ago
>I am still on the fence about being "overweight" being a direct cause of diabetes and not an effect. The parent did not bring causation into the discussion, you did. You're right to doubt it. Metabolic syndrome is the common theme http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms and it likely leads to both obesity and diabetes, among many other ailments.
- ferrari8608 11y ago
  Metabolic syndrome includes obesity and diabetes along with heart disease, cancer, and a few other conditions. It is not a cause but rather the result.
- nightski 11y ago
  I interpreted "even a modest weight loss has been reported to substantially decrease the diabetic risk" as causation. But you are right, he did not say it directly.

caseydurfee 11y ago

Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is not caused by obesity. Most Type II diabetics do not take insulin.

tosseraccount 11y ago
Does insulin immediately make you think of type 1 diabetes? Think again. Between 30 and 40 percent of people with type 2 diabetes take insulin. In fact, there are more people with type 2 diabetes who take insulin than type 1 because of the much larger number of people with type 2. - http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/medication/insulin/insulin-and-type-2-diabetes-what-you-should-know http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/medication/insulin/insul... Of course the type 1 disease which is ~10% of diabetes is different.
- jacalata 11y ago
  So...60-70% of Type II patients don't take insulin? Sounds like "most" to me.

pascalmemories 11y ago

You're conflating a whole range of issues about diabetes into a single, misleading, factor. I don't know if it's intentional misrepresentation or genuine ignorance on your part. Type 1 diabetes is not associated with being overweight and weight loss does not help. Indeed, rapid weight loss is often an early indication of the condition. Treatment with insulin (the only method available) typically results in weight gain, as the body recovers due to the newly available injected insulin. Often these patients start at normal weight range (i.e. BMI < 25) and are often substantially below typical weights prior to development of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes has strong genetic factors and substantial evidence shows these, combined with weight and some other factors of diet, lead to an expression as diabetes. In these cases, some people have had significant improvements in their conditions due to calorie restriction (leading to weight loss but often it also means they've switched to a healthier diet in the process and that also helps). The mechanisms here are believed to be due to improved sensitivity to insulin which is still being naturally produced. Various ratios of diabetes are quoted, but generally 1 in 20 of the white european population has diabetes and 1 in 20 of those has type 1 (and the other 19 type 2). Figures for Indian/Pakistani origin people are dramatically different if they move to Europe or North America and research suggests this is due to very different foods consumed [the 'western' versions being significantly less healthy than those from origin countries]. Much higher numbers of type 2 diabetes are found in these populations (reinforcing the factors as both genetics and types of food are involved). Other population groups differ too. Treatments for diabetes typically create weight control issues as increased insulin or sensitivity to insulin promotes body fat storage. It's untrue (and frankly verging on offensive) to simply blame diabetics for their condition because they are obese or overweight. Addressing and treating the condition is significantly more complex and weight control may be one of the few elements the patient has any input to, while many other factors are entirely outwith their control and they bear no culpability for.

GirlProgrammer 11y ago
The article talked about type-2 patients. Our NIH estimates that 60% of them would be cured if they simply ate less: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17227327 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17227327
11y ago

zwetan 11y ago

so misinformed ... what about a 5yo kid who just got diagnosed with diabetes type 1 ? also did you know that when you take insulin, it is the insulin that have the tendency to make you overweight ? Correlation does not imply causation, go educate yourself about diabetes.