The Best Predictor For Type 2 Diabetes

In this blog, I will be summarizing and analyzing a journal article which focused on topic of Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes or also known as adult onset diabetes has been a growing problem around the world. Some of the factors that leads to Type 2 Diabetes include obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and high energy dense foods. (ex.high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks). High blood glucose over time can cause blindness, heart disease, stroke, etc.

In this article, the main purpose was to figure out the strongest predictors for type 2 diabetes among males and females. Specifically, the researchers wanted to understand which factor of obesity contributes to a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes. These predictors include waist circumference ratio, BMI (Body Mass Index), and abdominal obesity (visceral fat). They measured the sexes separately because they noticed the difference between the "styles" of obesity. Lower body obesity (gynoid or pear shaped) was much more prevalent among females while upper body obesity (android or apple shaped) was much more prevalent among males.

Methodology

This study was based in Korea and a total of 4,400 households were surveyed and an average of 20 households were selected for further interview and questionnaires. In the end, the final study sample consisted of 4,684 respondents, over the age of 30 and has completed a health examination. The latter was to exclude any participants who had a history of chronic diseases.

The subjects were tested for their blood glucose levels in the morning after an 8 hour fast. To be diagnosed a diabetic, your blood glucose level would have to exceed 126mL/dL. Furthermore, your considered to have abdominal obesity if your waist circumference exceeds 90cm for men or 80cm for women. Last but not least, your considered obese if your BMI was over 25.

Among the top indicators listed, the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to determine which indicator was the strongest predictor for type 2 diabetes.

Results

In the end, it was noted that both men and women expressed different levels of fasting blood glucose based on their abdominal obesity alone (didn't include BMI). However, the final results showed that BMI and waist circumference as the strongest predictors for Type 2 Diabetes among women. On the other hand, waist circumference was the only strong predictor for type 2 diabetes among men.





References:

Paek, K.W., & Chun, K.H. (2010). Sex differences of type 2 diabetes affected by abdominal obesity versus overall obesity. Yonsei Med, 51(6), Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=112&sid=dad25e19-ff10-48d9-9914-2a7d535f33f5%40sessionmgr114

Healthy Diet + Physical Activity = Healthy Weight

In my previous blogs, I have been focusing on diet as a way to achieve a healthy life. One part that I didn't touch upon, which also has a significant impact on the health of an individual is physical activity. As a result, in this blog, I will be emphasizing on the importance of developing and maintaining a healthy body weight through daily physical activities and through a healthy diet.

Over the past 25 years, obesity has been a pandemic of a problem in the developing worlds. It is currently increasing in severity as childrens and youths are starting to develop obesity. Additionally, obesity is on its path to overtake smoking as the number one killer in North America. Tons of diseases and illnesses are linked to obesity including hypertension, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroker, urological diseases and more.

So how does a healthy diet and physical activity maintain and promote a healthy weight? Simply put, healthy diets provide the sufficient energy required to perform physical activity. Without the essential nutrients in our diets, our body would perform poorly or not perform at all. For example, there are 9 essential amino acids which we must obtain from a protein source, whether that be from red meat, beans, or nuts, we need to consume these in order for our body to function properly. (Dill, 2011)

When we look at diet and physical activity, we should perceive it as an equilibrium, where diet is an intake of energy while physical activity is the output of energy. (Dill, 2011) If we intake more energy (eat more) than we expend energy (exercise), we will end up with excess energy leading to weight gain. This is a pretty straightforward concept. Looking at diet, one can either slow down or increase the process of weight gain through what we consume on a daily basis. For example, eating fiber can help lower LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) oxidation which can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. (Insel et al.,2011) Similarly, physical activity can also increase the process of weight gain faster or slower through the duration of physical activity. It should be noted that the Canadian guideline recommends at least 2.5 hours per week for adults ages 18-64.

Overall, the health benefits of having a healthy diet and physical activity will overlap with one another. For instance, decrease risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, CVD, diabetes, etc. In conclusion, you should invest in yourself through healthy eating habits and physical activity levels to maintain and promote a healthy weight throughout the rest of your lives.

References:

Dill, R. (2011). Human nutrition: human issues. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.

Insel, P., Ross, D., McMahon, K., & Bernstein, M. (2011). Nutrition. United States of America: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC.