Weight Loss Helps Prevent Diabetes

A few months ago (March 2005), the American Diabetes Association announced the findings of the comprehensive Diabetes Prevention Program. The DPP was conducted at over 25 medical centers nationwide and involved thousands of participants who volunteered to have their habits monitored and to follow dietary and exercise recommendations. All participants had been diagnosed with 'pre-diabetes', a condition where the blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet in diabetic ranges. Untreated, more than half of those people diagnosed with pre-diabetes will develop full-blown type 2 diabetes within a decade.

For the study, the participants were divided into two groups. One half were given dietary recommendations. The other half got the same dietary recommendations, plus the recommendation to exercise at least 30 minutes daily, five times a week.

The results? Those who included daily exercise in their routines and followed the diet recommendations cut their risk of developing diabetes by 58%. The reason? Those who made the recommended changes in their lifestyle lost 'a moderate amount' of weight. Even more important, researchers found something that they didn't expect. Those in the treatment group had a substantial chance of reducing their blood sugar level to normal, something that had been assumed was impossible.

Apparently, losing weight not only prevents a worsening of diabetes, it reverses the damage that obesity causes to the cells that produce insulin.

How much weight loss does it take to have an effect on the progression of diabetes? The key is in the definition of 'a moderate weight loss' - 5-7% of your body weight. In other words, depending on your boy weight, a loss of as little as 7-10 pounds can make a difference!

The recommendations suggested by the American Diabetes Society for a healthy diet to prevent diabetes is an ideal diet for steady, gradual weight loss - the kind of weight loss that stays lost. The diet includes the following suggested daily diet allowances:

* Grain - 6-11 servings per day (Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta) * Vegetables - 3-5 servings per day * Fruits - 2-4 servings per day * Milk - 2-3 servings per day * Meat - 4-6 ounces per day (Meat, eggs, fish, dried beans, nuts and peanut butter) * Fats, Sweets, Alcohol - Occasional treats

(Recommendations for portions are based on gender and activity level. For instance, a sedentary 40 year old woman needs fewer portions than an active 25-year-old woman.)

Look familiar? It's also the dietary recommendation for the Heart Healthy diet from the American Heart Association, and the recommendations from the USDA's new MyPyramid. The results just keep coming in, but the message is clear: losing weight, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet can help prevent most major health problems. Why wait till you're diagnosed? Start today - and it may never happen.

The Diet Experts Agree More Than They Admit!

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies the current recommendations from our most respected medical institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such institutions as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the United States Department of Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy. Instead, they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement between them seeming to be the need to lose weight. The problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate - until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and what I found was a revelation. In the most practical sense, they're all talking about the same diet. Oh, there are minor variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots, summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where the controversy seems to arise. Almost without exception, proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults should derive the greater portion of their diets from carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice. On the other hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2 1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half cups of vegetable? In the end, the bottom line of every weight loss program advertised is the same: * Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits. * Eat fewer calories than you expend. * Exercise moderately every day. * Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose weight—and keep it off!

Do You Know Your Body Mass Index?

For some, the need to lose weight is clear. Those whose body weight places them into the obese or morbidly obese categories are well aware that they are carrying too many pounds. But what about the borderline overweight? Is that ten pounds over the ideal weight raising your risk of health complications? Are you just 'big-boned'? How do you decide if you really need to lose weight - and how much you need to lose? Doctors have a number of different ways to measure the need to lose weight. Long gone are the years when they relied on an insurance company chart of 'ideal weights'. The most commonly used measure is the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI measures your weight relative to your height. It is generally an accurate representation of muscle-to-fat ratio, though there are some limitations. 1. It may overestimate the BMI of an athletic person, because muscle is denser and weighs more than fat. 2. It may underestimate the BMI of an older person, or others who have low muscle mass. There are many BMI calculators available online that will allow you to check your own BMI. The table for determining risk factors associated with obesity is: Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 - 24.9 - Normal 25.0 - 29.9 - Overweight 30.0 and up - Obese If your BMI is above 25.0, your doctor or other medical professional can advise you on the best weight loss plan for you. You should know that there are great benefits to losing even a moderate amount of weight. Some of those include: * Lowering your risk of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, a weight loss of as little as 10 pounds can decrease the chances of pre-diabetes developing into diabetes by 58%. * Lower your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association states that coronary problems are directly correlated to weight. By losing weight to bring your BMI to within normal ranges, you significantly lower your risk of developing heart problems. * Reduce your risk of arthritis and pain from arthritis. A number of forms of arthritis are related to weight. Losing weight substantially decreases the strain that additional weight places you your knees, hips, back and ankles. Are you motivated to get started? Here are three ways that you can start losing weight today: Get active.

If you do nothing different in your life but exercise for one half hour daily, you will lose 5-7% of your body weight per year. Cut out white breads and sugars.

Substitute whole grains for refined flours and sugars, and you'll automatically reduce the number of calories that you consume daily. Eat more fresh vegetables.

Fresh vegetables, especially raw, are a significant source of many of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs daily. They're high in nutrition, while low in calories. By increasing the amount of fresh vegetables that you eat and reducing the amount of processed, refined foods, you'll cut calories and carbohydrates significantly.