DIABETES
No belly
laugh
Bigger bellies mean a bigger risk of type-2 diabetes. And, if you think diabetes is just
a minor inconvenience it may be time to get the tape measure out and think again.
M
en whose waist size
is above 102cm (40.2
inches) are five times more
likely to develop type-2
diabetes than those with a smaller waist
size. Women with a waist above 88cm
(34.7 inches) are three times more likely
to develop the condition.
People often get their waist
measurement wrong by measuring
under their bellies at the hips. A waist
measurement should be taken across the
belly button whist breathing normally.
Diabetes is a condition in which the
body does not produce enough insulin
to regulate blood glucose (sugar)
levels, or where the insulin produced
is unable to work effectively. There are
two main types of diabetes:
■ Type-1 diabetes has no association
with obesity or other lifestyle factors.
People are born with it, though symptoms
do not usually develop until adolescence
■ Type-2 diabetes is associated with
being overweight or obese. There is
no cure and the condition is managed
through diet and exercise. Over time
most people with type-2 diabetes will
require oral drugs or insulin.
FALSE IMPRESSIONS
There is a common misconception that
type-2 diabetes is little more than an
inconvenience, but this is far from true.
Diabetics are at a greater risk of heart
disease, amputation, kidney disease
and even blindness. In England,
diabetes attributed to around 23,300
additional deaths in 2010-11.
Councillor Hitesh Tailor, the council’s
cabinet member for health and adults’
services, said: “The key to reducing your
risk of diabetes is