Undeniably, the disease has a genetic component. This is true for the diabetes type 1, which results from a lack of insulin to which nothing can be done, but also in type 2 diabetes: with an equal lifestyle, some will be more vulnerable to it, because they have a family history for example . It is also known that having had a too low birth weight increases the risk for the child to later develop obesity and diabetes. However, nine out of ten times diabetes 2 is a direct result of lifestyle. “We eat too much, get fat and do not move enough”, summarizes Dr. Jean-Michel Lecerf, specialist in metabolic diseases. Attention, a sleep insufficient also decreases the secretion of insulin: the risk of developing diabetes is almost doubled if you sleep less than 5 hours per night.
Is Being Overweight The Cause Of Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is also called “fatty diabetes” because, eight times out of ten, it is accompanied by a certain overweight, or even outright.obesity. The excess fat makes the membrane of cells more impermeable to glucose, which suddenly accumulates in the blood. A real vicious circle then sets in, because the pancreas responds to this rise in blood sugar by overproducing insulin, which in turn promotes fat storage. This is because insulin also controls the production of glucose by the liver to meet the body’s needs between food intakes. When it is no longer active enough, it no longer slows down the liver, which in turn secretes too much sugar.
The fat located in the belly particularly promotes insulin resistance. Beyond 88 cm in waist size for women and 102 cm for men, you have to be more vigilant. Backward proof of the responsibility of overweight in diabetes: it is enough to lose a few pounds for, two out of three times, blood sugar levels return to normal.
Pollution, additives … Are they involved in the diabetes epidemic?
According to Dr Jean-Michel Lecerf, “it is not excluded that the exposure of the fetus to endocrine disruptors may play a role. In developing countries, some natural toxins have been shown to be diabetogenic. “Last June, French researchers (Inserm / Inra / Université Lyon 1) also confirmed this lead, by introducing a cocktail of pollutants into the diet of mice made obese by a diet rich in fat. This intoxication did lead to a worsening of glucose intolerance, at least in female mice. From there to seeing an important cause of the epidemic … This is what makes the specialists jump. “The main toxicant is sedentary lifestyle! », Recalls Dr Lecerf.
