The Link Between Diabetes and Obesity

About 42.4% of American adults are considered obese, and another 9.2% have severe obesity. Carrying excess weight increases your risk of numerous health conditions, including diabetes. 

The lifetime risk for men over age 18 developing diabetes jumps as high as 70% as their body mass index (BMI) rises over 35 kg/m² — the BMI score indicative of severe obesity. The risk increases to 74% for women with the same BMI range.

Learn more about diabetes, how obesity impacts your blood sugar levels, and how the Maniya Health team can help you manage both conditions with primary care management, medical weight loss, and nutritional counseling. 

Learn more about diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting how the body processes sugar (glucose), its primary energy source. When you eat, your body breaks down food into glucose and releases it into your bloodstream. 

The hormone insulin (which your pancreas makes) helps move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy.

If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or doesn’t use it properly (type 2 diabetes). In either case, you'll be left with high blood sugar levels. 

Left untreated or uncontrolled, diabetes can cause serious health problems, including heart disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, and vision loss. 

3 ways obesity increases your risk of developing diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that typically develops during childhood. Type 1 diabetes typically develops in childhood in one of two waves: between the ages of 4 and 7 or between 10 and 14. You can develop type 1 diabetes regardless of weight. 

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is closely connected to obesity. Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. 

Carrying extra weight can:

Increase insulin resistance

Excess body fat, especially around your abdomen, makes your body more insulin-resistant. If your body can’t use your insulin correctly, glucose isn’t moving efficiently from your blood to your cells, and you’re left with high blood sugar levels.

Men with 40 inches or more waist circumference are at the highest risk of developing insulin resistance. Women with a waist circumference of 35 inches or more are more likely to develop this condition.

When your body becomes insulin resistant, your pancreas has to work harder to produce more insulin. 

Contribute to inflammation

Obesity triggers chronic inflammation,  which affects how your body processes glucose. This persistent inflammation not only contributes to insulin resistance but also increases the risk of long-term complications like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and kidney damage. 

Research published in the journal Immunity shows that chronic inflammation links type 2 diabetes to other conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Impact your hormones

To compound matters, obesity can disrupt the hormones that regulate your appetite and metabolism. This, in turn, makes it harder to maintain stable blood sugar levels. This cycle of weight gain and insulin resistance increases the likelihood of developing diabetes.

The role of diet and lifestyle choices

Your diet and your lifestyle choices can both affect your weight and your risk of developing diabetes. For example, eating a diet high in processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats contributes to both obesity and diabetes. 

A sedentary lifestyle further worsens insulin resistance. 

To help maintain a healthy weight and improve insulin sensitivity, consider making healthier food choices and incorporating regular physical activity. This is especially true if you’re overweight and have prediabetes — these lifestyle changes could potentially reverse your condition. 

Preventing and managing diabetes through weight management

Losing even a small amount of weight — 5% to 10% of your body weight — can significantly improve your insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control. 

You can achieve this through a balanced diet, exercise, and, in some cases, medical interventions like weight loss programs or medications.

Get help for managing diabetes and obesity

Our team at Maniya Health offers medical weight loss programs to help you safely lose weight. Our nutrition services can help in two ways: 

• Changing your diet can help you lose weight
• Adopting diabetes-friendly meals can help you manage your blood sugar 

If you’re concerned about your weight and blood sugar levels, don’t hesitate to visit us in any of our three New Jersey locations—Hamilton, Robbinsville, or Hopewell. 

As primary care providers who offer chronic care management for diabetes, weight loss solutions, and nutrition counseling, we’ve got everything you need to combat both diabetes and obesity.

To get started, call the location of your choice or use our online scheduling system.