Weight Gain Diseases
Weight gain affects cholesterol levels in the body, and other aspects associated with cholesterol. Your cholesterol level is made up of three different types of cholesterol:
LDL…”bad” cholesterol
VLDL…a mixture of cholesterol and triglycerides
HDL…”good” cholesterol
Each type of cholesterol has a unique good heart health, the goal is to lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol, since LDL is a factor to heart disease and HDL helps protect the heart. Weight gain diseases create problems by elevating LDL levels and lowering HDL levels. It also increases triglycerides, which is another type of fat in the blood. Losing weight improves the blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Why do I have diabetes?
Weight gain significantly heightens diabetes risk. This risk increases with weight gain after age 18. If we can eliminate adult obesity, we can eliminate over 80% of all type 2 diabetes. It is not too surprising that one of the first treatments recommended for type 2 diabetes is to lose weight.
Types of Diabetes
There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 – Also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes, and is usually detected in children, teenagers, or young adults. In this form of diabetes, the cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body’s immune system has damaged and destroyed them. A treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin injections or using an insulin pump, making intelligent food choices, getting regular exercise, maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol, and for some taking aspirin regularly.
Type 2 – Also known as adult onset or non insulin dependent diabetes, and is the most common type of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even in childhood. This type of diabetes usually starts with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, liver, and muscle cells will not use the body’s insulin correctly. In the beginning, the pancreas maintains the added requirement by making more insulin. However, it loses the capability to produce enough insulin after meals. Overweight and inactive people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Treatment for type 2 diabetes include taking diabetes medication, making intelligent food choices, getting regular exercise, maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol, and for some, taking aspirin regularly.
Gestational – A number of women can develop gestational diabetes late in their pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes generally disappears after the birth of the baby, a woman who has developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in her life. The hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin causes gestational diabetes.
