Diabetes is typically associated with sweets, obesity, and sedentary
lifestyle, but recent evidence suggests that a considerable number of people at
normal and even below-normal weights are at risk for developing the disease.
by John
Tyburski
Copyright © Daily
Digest News, KPR Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
For those
who think that they will not developing diabetes in their lifetime because they
are thin, it may be time to reassess what might be a false sense of security.
While diabetes is a chronic disease normally associated with the consumption of
sweet foods, being overweight or obese, and leading a sedentary and overall
unhealthy lifestyle, a new study suggests that people of normal weight need to
exercise caution as well.
According
to Diabetes UK, a
major charitable organization that promotes research and awareness in the U.K.,
approximately 11.3 percent of people diagnosed with the condition have normal
body weight at the time they develop the disease. Even more surprising, a few,
0.4 percent, are underweight. These cases indicate that diabetes can develop
for a variety of reasons, not just as a result of too much body weight.
The
analysis of data from the National Diabetes Audit revealed that nine out of 10
people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, meaning their body mass indices are
higher than 25. Over half of new diabetes cases are in obese people. Even so,
it is not just a disease for the obese, the study shows.
England is
home to approximately 3.2 million adults living with diabetes. Among these, an
estimated 850,000 have not yet been diagnosed. The prevalence of diabetes is
expected to reach 4.6 million by 2030.
Risk factors
for diabetes that are not related to body weight include family history of the
condition; black, South Asian, or Chinese ethnicity; and aging. The more
well-known risk factors include overweight and obesity, lack of physical
activity, and unhealthy diet.
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