Chicken or Egg?

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.

Do you have diabetes? Does anyone you know have it?

Some friends of mine, who know I speak on Diabesity, asked me the other day: “So, which comes first—the weight or the diabetes?” There has been much discussion in the medical community about this, but I’ve come to the conclusion that diabetes comes first.

If you have diabetes and a body mass index of more than 25, it’s time for a lifestyle change. Any higher and you risk joining the vast numbers who have diabesity, the merging of diabetes and obesity.

A nurse sat next to me at a meeting last week. As she rose to get a cup of coffee at the counter, I noticed she had to hold both arms of the chair, then swivel herself round before standing up. She was clearly plying under the load of a muffin-top (see yesterday’s blog) plus all the weight on her knees, one of which had a brace. I wondered if there was a diabesity problem there, and thought…one more for the epidemic’s statistics.

Then my coach cogwheels kicked into gear: if she has diabetes, I thought, and arthritis in the knees, I wonder how her heart’s faring. I wouldn’t want her to be among the 80% of diabetics who die of a heart attack. This was a retired professional who did a lot of good in the community, a dedicated person who chaired a committee to care for Seniors. In fact, I don’t want any diabetic to die of a heart attack, but alas, the national statistics tell the tale.

I have living proof that not only can pre-diabetes be reversed, but also full-blown diabetes. When weight comes into play, the reduction in one can bring about an improvement in the other.

Call me if I can take this further with you or someone you love. You are also welcome to request a free report on this topic on the right of this page.

Cheers for now.