Type 2 Diabetes – An Alarming Punishment For Being Fat?
Whenever I talk about body liberation and an end to fatphobia, people swarm out of the woodwork to remind me of all the illnesses caused by excess weight. At the forefront of these illnesses is type 2 diabetes. So in this post, I want to discuss the facts about type 2 diabetes.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes, like type 1, is a condition where the insulin produced by your body does not stabilise the amount of sugar in your blood. This causes high blood sugar levels, and once your blood sugar exceeds a certain point, it can cause damage to your kidneys, eyes, brain and nerves over time. It is an illness that develops over time as opposed to type 1 which you are born with the majority of the time.
What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
Two related causes are believed to be responsible for type 2 diabetes. The first is called insulin resistance. Your body is still producing insulin, but it does not affect the cells the way it should. They resist the effects of insulin and therefore do not absorb and remove enough sugar from the blood.
Your pancreas then needs to work harder and produce more insulin as it becomes less effective. Eventually, it simply cannot keep up and does not produce enough insulin to maintain your blood sugar at a healthy level.
An important thing to note is that while most doctors agree that being overweight and inactive are risk factors, no one can definitively explain why insulin resistance occurs.
Risk Factors
You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if:
- You are carrying excess weight, particularly around your organs
- You have a family history of diabetes
- If you descend from a Chinese, African (Black), African Caribbean, or Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi family
- You’re more than 40 years old, or 25 years old if you’re a member of the nationalities listed above
- If you have already been diagnosed with other illnesses, including gestational diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and, interestingly, severe mental illness
What is fascinating about this list, taken directly from Diabetes UK, is that many of them do not relate directly to weight. Yes, carrying excess weight seems to be a factor, but it is not the only factor.
Misconceptions
There are several misconceptions around this illness that we need to clear up. The first, and most common, is that it’s a fat person disease. Almost a punishment for being fat. In fact, up to 20% of people diagnosed with diabetes are not overweight or are underweight. Ok, that still leaves 80% of people with type 2 diabetes being fat, but 20% is still statistically significant.
People also believe that people with diabetes can’t or shouldn’t eat sugar. When diagnosed with diabetes, eating a balanced diet becomes an important factor in treating it. However, sugar can still be consumed in moderation.
In addition, because type 2 diabetes relates to high blood sugar, many people believe eating too much sugar causes it. This is not true. The risk factors and causes are the ones listed above. Again, we cannot say for certain what specifically causes type 2 diabetes.
What Can You Do?
If you suspect you may have diabetes, your first step should be a trip to see your doctor. Diabetes is a serious illness and not something you should ignore. It can cause blindness, kidney damage, and the possibility of having your foot amputated. That is only left untreated, though!
Once you get a diagnosis, you can discuss with your doctor if you need to take medication because it isn’t necessary at certain blood sugar levels.
Whether you take medicine or not, trying to eat a balanced diet with whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruit in moderation is a great place to start. That’s not just for diabetes, either; it’s good for your health, period. I am aware that eating more healthily can be more expensive, and some people may struggle to afford it. Check out my tips for affordable healthy eating for a few suggestions.
You should also try to increase the amount of exercise you do. It’s recommended every adult gets at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Exercise has many benefits beyond lowering your blood sugar. For example, it can improve your heart’s health, build muscle tone, improve balance and boost your mood.
What If I Don’t Want To/Can’t Do These Things?
That is entirely up to you. I don’t know you or know anything about your life. I am not here to judge you. If there is a reason this won’t work for you, include this information as part of the consultation with your doctor. They may need to take it into account when setting the dosage for the medications they prescribe.
However, even if you can’t manage these things in full, every little helps. If you can only manage 30 minutes of exercise a week and a couple of extra vegetables, it is better than not doing anything. Who knows, over time, you may feel willing or able to add in a little more. Take it a day at a time.
Is Diabetes Permanent?
Unlike type 1 diabetes, which you are normally born with, you can reverse type 2 diabetes or at the very least manage it to the point that your body functions normally. See your doctor to set up a plan that works for you.
