Why loose weight reverses type2 diabetes?

Why lose weight reverses type2 diabetes?

Peter Maher, a retired teacher in London, says weight has been a long-term issue for him. But when it inched up, even more, a few years ago, his type 2 diabetes became more unmanageable. Soon after the scale read 245 pounds, he remembers catching a glimpse of himself in a mirror.” I saw this great, fat person staring back at me,” recalls Maher, now 71. “That was my eureka moment.” Knowing he had to take action, he consulted “Dr. Google.”He found a London doctor who had published research about how substantial weight loss can reverse type 2 diabetes. In late 2015, he emailed Roy Taylor, MD, at Newcastle University and said he’d like to go on the plan Taylor had devised. The response? “You and 20,000 others.

Diabetes and Exercise

Reversing Type 2

While doctors have known for years that weight loss can not only prevent diabetes but sometimes reverse it, recently Taylor has found new clues as to why. Type 2 diabetes, he says, “is simply due to too much fat inside the liver and pancreas of people who happen to be susceptible to the fat-induced damage.” Losing a substantial amount of weight can kill off that fat, often allowing the organs to work again, including a return to normal insulin production by the pancreas.

Choosing a Weight Loss Program That Works for You

If you’re ready to lose weight, the first step is finding a program that you’ll stick with.

ABOUT As a result of his research and his success stories, Taylor encourages other doctors to stop turning to diabetes medicines right away and more strongly encourage weight loss as the first step for their patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. And the sooner, the better, he says. While Maher reversed his diabetes decades later, that’s not typical, Taylor says. The ideal management, he says, is to start serious weight loss efforts right away.”As you would expect, people have a different length of the window when they remain reversible,” Taylor says. “For some, even 3 years is too late.”

Behind the Weight Loss Advice

In an earlier study, Taylor’s team assigned 149 patients to the strict weight loss program and another 149 to usual care such as treatment with medications. Most were diagnosed within the previous 6 years before the start of the study.After a year, only 4% of the usual care patients had remission of diabetes, but 46% of those on the weight loss program did. The more they lost, the higher the chances of reversal. While 7% of patients who lost less than 11 pounds went into remission, 86% of those who lost 33 pounds or more did Taylor found. In general, “remission” in diabetes means a person’s blood sugar levels remain normal. While some refer to this as a “cure,” diabetes is not a “one and done,” disease. That is, it could always return if the patient regains the weight or returns to unhealthy habits. In 2009, a group of diabetes experts wrote that “remission” is a term used when a person has normal blood sugar levels for one year without therapy or surgery.     Sugar is sweet, but too much of it can sour your health. Whole foods like fruits, veggies, dairy, and grains have natural sugars. Your body digests those carbs slowly so your cells get a steady supply of energy. Added sugars, on the other hand, come in packaged foods and drinks. Your body does not need any added sugars. Sugary drinks in particular can boost your odds for type 2 diabetes. That can happen because when sugar stays in your blood, your body may react by making less of the hormone insulin, which converts the food you eat into energy. Or the insulin doesn’t work as well. If you’re overweight, dropping even 10-15 pounds can help you manage your blood sugar.