(Challenge: Reading to try to come up with some useful ways of coping with the rise in levels of obesity)
The last ever blog that I sort of (kind-of) had attempted to write in relation to difficulties experienced in the winter was about homelessness. This was in the early days of Lifestyleaddxct when I sat my Undergraduate self in between my phone and my laptop to develop an infographic on shocking homeless statics and then shared it onto Instagram. In all honesty now, I don’t know what compels me to still want to write and read about such intense subject areas of health concerns but based on observations of my environment over the years, I thought that this was a viable and interesting topic to discuss with you all…
The issue at hand concerns how those diagnosed with diabetes and at risk of being diagnosed with diabetes can mitigate themselves against the common difficulties associated with the illness in the colder months, most importantly, insulin resistance.
Insulin is ‘a hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood’ (Oxford Dictionary). This is relevant to the medication of insulin treatment for diabetic patients as it’s overall intention is to manage blood sugar or ‘glucose’ levels (Wood, 2022), highlighting the very crucial role that the regular and timed assistance of insulin intake is for diabetics.
Type 1 diabetes is when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin and type 2 is when the pancreas produces enough but then it is utilised properly by the cells, leading to insulin resistance because the pancreas becomes programmed to constant reproduction. The weight gain that is most typically associated with being diabetic is on account of insulin therapy, which is the treatment that is most usually prescribed for those suffering from diabetes (Wood, 2022). Thus, whilst it is important that we gather an understanding of the environmental factors that can lead one to being overweight and at risk of being diagnosed with diabetes, it is equally as vital that we explore the natural factors behind its prevalence and how these can be catered to, to reduce the difficulties and struggles diabetics experience and prevent non-diabetics from being at risk.
Fact: People with type 1 diabetes are at greater risk of being obese in comparison to those without diabetes and 85% of those with type 2 diabetes are either overweight or already have obesity.
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From slightly earlier research, there has been a consideration of the relationship between body mass index and insulin resistance as a response to diabetes treatment (Al-Goblan et al, 2014). The link between weight gain and diabetes allows types to be separated into 2 further categories - Diabetes Mellitus (DM) which alters the maintenance of fat and Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DK) which is common for children diagnosed with the illness that typically tend to be type 1, and is not associated with excessive weight gain/being obese (Al-Goblan et al), suggesting that having a predisposition to diabetic diagnoses is not guaranteed to be the case on account of Body Mass Index alone.
Further research also shows that despite links to both genetics and the environment leading one to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, weight gain in general still poses as the biggest contributing cause. Issues emerging out of an understanding of type 2 comparatively lead to a conclusion that the development of the disease is also crucially down to the impairment of other B-cell’s.
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Humans still exercise like other mammals do so that is not likely to be the cause of the rise in obesity levels which now outnumber the rates of being underweight (Cronise et al, 2014). Consequentially, there is a lack of a correlation that has been established between rates of exercise and cases of obesity more generally.
However, by contrast there is a big understanding within studies into the prevalence of diabetes which considers that usages of different sporting equipment affects the conduct of exercise in different temperatures (Hippel and Benson, 2014), for example: having less access to swim outdoors in cold countries during winter, reluctance in general to partake in outdoor sport training due to extreme weather conditions, either hot or cold, etc. - A relatively reasonable solution: consider ways to work out in your own, indoor environment
Research shows also weight gain in the autumn and winter months especially. As based on this, it is then important to consider the role that depression plays during these months through an understanding of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) where changes to certain hormones and neurotransmitters occur as a result of the loss of daylight - based on this, consider avenues to go down to manage low and fluctuating moods you may be experiencing at peak times of cold weather, especially if it is causing you to engage in behaviours which can massively compromise your health i.e. excessive eating, over sleeping, lack of self maintenance and cleanliness etc.
-Here are some tips for controlling blood sugar levels that I would highly recommend (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia):
Remember to keep your muscles moving
Stay healthy and respond to
any compromises to your immune system as a matter of urgency
Keep up to date with your calories and make sure that you take your insulin correctly when you do eat
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This blog merely touches on the difficulties experienced by those diagnosed with diabetes and how the risks associated with its prevalence are still being developed in coordination with a significant understanding of insulin resistance and the mitigation of natural and environmental factors behind the rise in obesity levels globally. I hope that you found it informative and the suggestions and sources provided for adequate aid of the illness useful. I would like to welcome any commentary on personal experiences if any and also want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Please also read my other blogs for an insight into other health and well-being concerns that are important to read about and follow me on Instagram (@ldxbootique) to stay up to date with all developments on my site as well as joining the mailing list below.
Talk to you all so soon
-From K xx
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