Currently, it is thought that overweight (meaning a body mass index, or BMI, of 25 to 30) and obese (meaning a BMI of over 30) Americans represent about 65.2 percent of the population. Although it is a worldwide problem, in the United States alone, it is estimated that one in four people are obese. Still another statistic states that more than half of the adults in the United States are overweight.
What does air pollution have to do with obesity, and perhaps diabetes?
A lthough more research needs to be done, in yet another study on obesity, researchers working jointly from Duke and Peking Universities suggested that air pollution may play a part in diet-associated weight gain, inflammation in the body (thought to be a contributing factor to obesity), and insulin resistance.
They base their suggestions on studies conducted on rats, in which the animals were exposed to the polluted city air of Beijing or air cleaned by an air filter that removed most of the pollutants.
The scientists found that after 19 days, the animals in the polluted air showed signs of inflammation and had a 50 percent higher level of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, considered “bad”) cholesterol, 46 percent higher triglycerides, and 97 percent higher total cholesterol, all thought to be contributors to obesity.
In terms of diabetes, the rats also had an increase in insulin resistance.
The animals’ offspring did no better and were heavier than the offspring in the filtered air, even with eating the same diets.
If this study can be translated to humans, it may show how major air pollution can contribute to the growing numbers of people who are not only obese but who also develop diabetes.
How many people who develop type 2 diabetes are obese or overweight?
According to Harvard Medical School, it is estimated that around 85 percent of people who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Although this estimate applies to the U.S. population, it is no doubt close to the percentage of people worldwide who develop type 2 diabetes.
What are the three major conditions associated with obesity?
According to some statistics, one in three Americans and one in four adults worldwide have at least three conditions that often accompany obesity. These three major conditions include type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. These disorders, usually found in combination, double a person’s risk of heart attack and strokes. Another condition called fatty liver, when a large amount of fat accumulates in the liver, is also caused by obesity and can lead to liver failure.
The Handy Diabetes Answer Book
COPING WITH DIABETES
DIABETES AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Can stress cause diabetes?
No, contrary to some reports, there is no evidence that stress can cause diabetes. But it can affect a person with diabetes, as stress does raise blood glucose levels.
How does diabetes cause stress?
Experts often say that stress can affect diabetes (mainly by raising blood glucose levels), and diabetes can cause stress.
Most people with diabetes do not realize this double connection, especially when they are first diagnosed with the disease.
In particular, having diabetes puts a burden on the person because it requires many lifestyle changes, not only for that person, but also for those around him or her (and especially when a child is diagnosed with diabetes).
There is the stress of making sure the person’s blood glucose stabilizes to a level that is good for that person.
And there is the stress of making sure that he or she eats, exercises, and works comfortably while maintaining a healthy blood glucose level.
Many people without the disease do not understand the challenges of the disease, and such a lack of understanding can also cause stress in the person with diabetes.
How do the many stresses in life affect a person’s blood glucose levels?
The double whammy, as it is often called, is that stressful events are tough on the body (mentally and physically) and, in turn, affect blood glucose levels, whether a person has diabetes or not. With or without diabetes, the stress hormones (usually cortisol and catecholamines) can counteract the effects of the body’s insulin (stress can even affect injected insulin for a person with type 1 diabetes). This stress effect makes blood glucose levels rise, sometimes to dangerous levels.
What problems may people with diabetes face in relation to others who do not have the disease?
If you talk with people who have diabetes, they’ll often say that communication or “people problems” can lead to stress or bad feelings. For example, many people will tell a person with diabetes what he or she should eat (even though they themselves do not have the disease) or treat the person differently when a diagnosis is made. Most people with diabetes want practical and emotional help, but they also want others to understand the many difficult challenges they face with diabetes.
What study indicated that people with diabetes may be more prone to depression and vice versa?
It is well established that diabetes and depression often occur together.
It is unknown why this link exists, but according to a study of 55,000 women conducted by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health, the link appears to be bidirectional, meaning either condition can cause the onset of the other.
The study showed that over a ten-year period, there was a 29 percent higher risk of developing depression for women who had diabetes than for those who did not.
Contrarily, women who had depression were 17 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who were not depressed.
Both results took into account risk factors for both conditions, such as excess body fat and inactivity.
The researchers speculated that depression may result from biochemical changes that occur if a person develops diabetes.
It could also be that diabetes occurs as a result of the treatment for the depression, as antidepressant drugs may affect a person’s glucose levels or cause weight gain that puts the person at risk for diabetes.
They also suggest that depression may develop after someone develops diabetes because the person has to live with the stresses of the chronic disease.
These suggestions are all speculation so far, and more studies need to be done.
DIABETES AND VACCINATIONS
What is the purpose of a vaccination?
The purpose of vaccination, or immunization, is to artificially induce active immunity, so there will be resistance to the pathogen upon natural exposure in the future. Vaccinations are prepared under laboratory conditions from either dead or severely weakened antigens.
Should people with diabetes obtain a flu and/or pneumonia shot each year?
Most health care professionals suggest that a person with diabetes obtain a flu shot each year, usually in the fall.
According to the CDC, people with diabetes (types 1 or 2), even when the disease is well managed, are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications than most other people.
These can include such conditions as pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections, which may lead to hospitalization.
Such susceptibility occurs because the immune system of a person with diabetes is less able to fight off infections, and an illness makes it more difficult to control blood glucose levels.
For example, when people are sick, they may not feel like eating, and if they have diabetes, lack of food can cause blood glucose levels to become unbalanced.
In addition, people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should ask their health care professional if they need a pneumonia shot, also called pneumococcal vaccination, as they are at increased risk of developing pneumonia if they do contract the flu. Overall, a person with diabetes should contact his or her health care provider to understand what shots are needed and the best way to obtain them.
Because diabetics are at higher risk of getting the flu or pneumonia, it is recommended they get a flu shot every year without fail.
Why does a new flu vaccine have to be prepared each year?
A new flu vaccine is prepared every year because the strains of flu viruses change from year to year.
Nine to ten months before the flu season begins, scientists prepare a new vaccine made from inactivated (killed) flu viruses.
The vaccine preparation is based on the strains of the flu viruses that are in circulation at the time.
It includes those A and B viruses expected to circulate the following winter.
Another reason to get vaccinated for the flu every year is that immunity after a flu shot declines and may be too low to provide protection after one year.
ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS
Can sunburn affect a person with diabetes?
Yes, sunburn can affect a person with diabetes, whether the individual gets burned while hiking, walking in the sunshine, or skiing at a ski resort. Sunburn can stress the body, and for a person with diabetes, such stress can raise blood glucose levels. Sunshine can also put stress on the eyes, causing eye strain. The best way to counteract these problems is not to quit going outside but to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and to wear protective eye gear.
What SPF (sun protection factor) is best?
For people with or without diabetes, it is best to use sunscreen lotion to protect against the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
When it comes to sunscreen, the SPF number located on a lotion’s container is the most important.
Most experts generally recommend that a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is usually sufficient, since it blocks out around 97 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
For those with fairer skin or who have a history of skin cancer, dermatologists often recommend an SPF closer to 60.
In addition, those who are outside for more than two to three hours, especially from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M., the peak sun-exposure hours, can often benefit from a higher SPF number.
Of course, the use of sunscreen is often debated, especially in association with vitamin D. Although the seasonal change in sunlight is one of the major reasons for fluctuations in a person’s vitamin D levels, another culprit is clothing that covers the arms and legs, limiting the sunlight that helps the body produce vitamin D. In addition, using sunscreen may affect vitamin D levels to a certain extent, although in reality, few people use enough sunscreen to block all of the UV rays.
Is there a connection between skin cancer and diabetes?
Although more studies are needed, a study from 2013 indicated there may be an association between skin cancer and diabetes, especially if a person has had diabetes for 15 years or longer. But the study raised many questions, and no one truly knows whether there is a higher risk of skin cancer for people with diabetes or whether it is just that the older a person becomes, the more he or she is exposed to environmental conditions that cause skin cancer. Overall, health care professionals suggest that people with diabetes follow the same guidelines as those without diabetes, such as using sunscreen, wearing light clothing to cover the arms and legs, and being aware of how much time they are exposed to sunlight.
Checking regularly for melanoma or other forms of skin cancer is important for everyone, so take precautions and schedule an appointment with a dermatologist to be safe.