Adult
Lifestyle, Not Childhood, the Biggest Influence on Diabetes
By
Ross Bridgeford
9th July 2005
According to research conducted by the University of Newcastle
upon Tyne, lifestyle choices made in adulthood have a greater influence
upon the development of diabetes than childhood experience. Previously,
childhood factors including birth weight and nutrition were believed
to have been two of the more significant influences. However, these
were found to have much less impact than expected.
The study, conducted upon 412 men and women throughout childhood
and into adulthood, has discovered that adults carrying a higher
level of body fat were more likely to have developed increase resistance
to insulin, the main risk marker for type 2 diabetes.
Lifestyle factors are now considered to be the greatest influence
upon the development of diabetes, of which the number of individuals
diagnosed is expected to double over the next 25 years. Type 2
diabetes is already responsible for approximately nine per cent
of the total NHS budget ($5.2 billion/ year) and accounts for 90%of
all diabetes cases.
What is Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is characterised by a resistance
to the body’s
tissues to insulin, which leaves too much glucose in the blood
and is associated to being overweight and a lack of aerobic and
anaerobic activity. With type 1 diabetes there is an absolute lack
of insulin in the body.
The health risks that are associated with diabetes are varied,
with the risk of several illnesses including kidney failure, blindness,
heart disease, stroke and nerve damage (which often leads to amputation).
Lifestyle and diet choices are now probably the
greatest influence upon an individual’s risk of developing diabetes, if not
now, then in later life. According to Diabetes UK, ‘over
80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight at diagnosis.
The more overweight you are, the greater your risk of diabetes.’
References
www.ncl.ac.uk
www.diabetes.org.uk
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