Battling the bulge? Have a big tummy? If you answered yes to these two questions, then chances are that you are five times more susceptible to type 2 diabetes.
According to a report from Public Health England (PHE), the presence of belly or abdominal fat is indicative that these individuals may be at the risk of having type 2 diabetes. Men who have a waist that measures more than 102 cm or 40.2 inches (around the middle and not underneath their belly) are five times more prone to type 2 diabetes when compared to counterparts with a smaller waist size.
Similarly, women whose waist is more than 88 cm or 34.7 inches are three times more susceptible to type 2 diabetes than their counterparts who have a slimmer waist. Apparently, abdominal fact is a better index of a person's chances of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when compared to BMI.
According to the report, excess weight around the abdominal area can be detrimental to an individual's health and well-being. Fat that exists around the organs in the abdominal area is seen as more risky in comparison to fat stored on the hips as it is "metabolically active." This basically means that the abdominal fat is capable of releasing far more toxic chemicals, which in turn increases the risk of diabetes and heart ailments.
The PHE report also revealed that nearly 90 percent of individuals studied who suffer from type 2 diabetes are overweight. However, not all communities are affected in the same manner as certain ethnic groups (South Asian and Blacks) have a tendency to develop the disease way earlier than white Europeans.
"Over 60% of us are at risk of type 2 diabetes because we are overweight. But overweight has become normalized and many people no longer realize they are potentially endangering their health. People underestimate their weight. They underestimate their children's weight - they perhaps think they don't need to do anything about it," says Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at Public Health England.
For the unfamiliar, type 2 diabetes cab result in early deaths, blindness and significant consequences like limb amputations. The NHS reveals that a person suffering from type 2 diabetes is more prone to strokes, heart issues, nerve and kidney damage, foot ulcers, circulation issues and blindness.
To reduce type 2 diabetes, an individual needs to lose weight, which can be achieved via a healthy diet believes Dr. Tedstone.
