Type 2 diabetes is more likely to develop in those who carry excess weight, stated the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). Thus, the first goal is to make sure you’re at a healthy weight. Physical activity is key to ward off diabetes, with a bonus of keeping your weight in check. The NIH Diabetes Prevention Programme encourage everybody to move for at least 30 minutes daily, five times per week.
The NHS warned: “Around 22,000 people with diabetes die early every year.”
Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age, and the condition is a major contributor to the following:
- 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 persist, one in three people will be obese by 2034 and one in 10 will develop type 2 diabetes.”
The charity Diabetes UK encourage people to measure their waist size to figure out if they’re at risk of the condition.
“Carrying extra weight around your middle means fat can build up around organs, like your liver and pancreas,” said Diabetes UK.
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“This can cause something called insulin resistance as the insulin can’t get through the fat.
“This means the insulin your body produces doesn’t work properly, and that increases your chance of having high blood glucose (sugar).”
To measure your waist, find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribcage.
In the middle of these two points, place a clothing, flexible tape measure around your body.
For women, any waist measurement above 31.5 inches (80cm) or more means you need to lose weight for your health.
For men, you’ll need to lose weight if your waist is 35 inches (90cm) or more.
Source: Daily Express
