Make a Lifestyle Change to Lose Weight and Type 2 Diabetes
Posted by loseweight | Tagged as: health
A recent study found that people who make a lifestyle change can lose weight and reduce the symptoms of or even eradicate type 2 diabetes altogether.
The study, published in the September 27 issue of the medical journal “Archives of Internal Medicine“, was taken with 5,145 overweight or obese people, who came in with an average age of 58.7 and also had type 2 diabetes. The study assigned around half this number to an intensive change of lifestyle that included changes to their diet and taking sufficient physical activity that would achieve a weight loss target of 7 percent in the first year. There were also monthly support meetings and phone support for this group. This intervention in lifestyle was also designed to enable those taking part to maintain that weight reduction in subsequent years.
The other half of the participants were used as a control group assigned to a support group including diabetes education holding three group sessions per year where they would discuss topics such as diet, exercise and social support.
After the four year long study, it was seen that the participants taking part in the lifestyle change group lost 6.2 percent of their body weight on average. This was compared with just 0.9 percent for the group taking part in the diabetes support group. There was also a greater level of improvement in fitness amongst the lifestyle change group, as well as improved blood glucose control, more stable and lower blood pressure and lower levels of the good form of HDL cholesterol.
The participants on the lifestyle change program showed improved control of their blood glucose levels along with a reduction in their risk factors for cardiovascular disease. These two factors are critical in preventing the several long-term complications which are known to be caused by diabetes.
This just goes to prove that in order to improve your own health, you must take action of your own in the areas of diet and exercise. Failing to make changes where changes are needed to be made increase the risk of developing complications associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity in general, but sitting around thinking about it or reading about it without actually DOing anything about it is simply not good enough. Weight loss and health improvements come to those who work for themselves towards their goals, because no one else can do it for you.
You can find more professional information at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/complications_control/
Been lurking for a while here, guess it’s time to pay my dues and post my first comment. Its interesting that a simple change of lifestyle can make such a difference to your health and body weight even.Great story and I love your blog, keep posting so I have something to do at work lol!
I’m can be a complete jerk when I’m low. My friends know not to engage me when they see the glucose tabs come out! Well, most of them, some just don’t learn. I get spacey (spacier than usual) when I’m high. I just feel lousy.