Both obesity and type 2 diabetes are related health conditions that can seriously affect the human body. The good news is that both conditions can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle and a balanced eating plan, among other good habits.
Obesity is understood as a condition that occurs when a person is overweight or has an abnormal accumulation of fat that represents a latent danger to their well-being. To identify overweight or obesity in a patient, their body mass index (BMI) is considered, which indicates the relationship between weight and height (Weight / Height2) and, based on this, it is calculated whether the person has a weight according to its age, sex and height.
The current international WHO (World Health Organization) classification for BMI (Body Mass Index) is:
| WEIGHT | RESULT |
|---|---|
| Low Weight | Less 18.5 |
| Normal Weight | 18.5 - 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0 - 29.9 |
| Obesity grade I | 30.0 - 34.9 |
| Obesity grade II | 35.0 - 39.9 |
| Obesity grade III | Over 40 |
Obesity is one of the main risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes (DM2), a metabolic disease that appears when the body uses insulin ineffectively or produces it in very low amounts. T2DM accounts for most global cases of diabetes and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is largely due to excessive body weight and physical inactivity.
Although the symptoms of type 2 diabetes may be like those of type 1 diabetes, they are usually less identifiable. For this reason, the disease is diagnosed in most cases when it has several years of evolution and its complications have already begun to appear.
Until recently, T2DM - whose diagnosis may also be related to hereditary factors - used to appear from the age of 45 onwards, but in recent years it is a condition that also manifests itself in children and young people, due to unhealthy eating habits. and the sedentary lifestyle that prevails in today's societies.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to the WHO, in 2016, 41 million children under the age of five were overweight or obese. That same year, there were more than 340 million children and teenagers (ages 5 to 19) diagnosed with obesity. Against this background, it is important to consider a series of basic recommendations that health professionals make with the aim of reducing the risk of being overweight, which minimizes the chances that a person will have type 2 diabetes.Prevention
The measures to prevent the appearance of both obesity and type 2 diabetes are simple and are mainly related to a healthy lifestyle in every way. Take note and implement the following recommendations made by the World Health Organization to avoid obesity and type 2 diabetes:
- Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Stay physically active. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days a week.
- Eliminate or limit the consumption of sugar and saturated fats in your eating plan. A healthy diet will help you achieve and maintain comprehensive well-being.
- Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, among other healthy foods
- Avoid tobacco use. This increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, among others.
World Health Organization [website]. Obesity and overweight [published on February 16, 2018; accessed July 8, 2019]. Available at: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
World Health Organization [website]. Diabetes [published October 30, 2018; accessed July 8, 2019]. Available at: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
