Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCauseDoes Type 2 Diabetes Cause Weight Gain

Does Type 2 Diabetes Cause Weight Gain


Cant I Control Blood Sugar With Medications

Does Skipping Breakfast Cause Diabetes & Weight Gain? Dr.Berg

Yes, you will be able to control blood sugar with medications. However, you should be supporting it with the food that you consume as well. Otherwise, the medications you take would be in vain because you are pumping up your body with more sugar. Hence, you will not be able to take control of the sugar levels in the blood.

Are You At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes

What you consume throughout your day and how active you are affects your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Being overweight , or affected by obesity or morbid obesity , greatly increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The more excess weight you have, the more resistant your muscle and tissue cells become to your own insulin hormone. More than 90 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or affected by a degree of obesity.

In addition to excess weight, there are many other factors that increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, such as:

Sedentary lifestyle

Inactivity and being overweight go hand-in-hand with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Muscle cells have more insulin receptors than fat cells, so an individual can decrease insulin resistance by exercising. Being more active also lowers blood sugar levels by helping insulin to be more effective.


Unhealthy eating habits

Unhealthy eating is a contributor to obesity. Too much fat in your diet, not enough fiber and too many simple carbohydrates all contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Family history and genetics

It appears that people who have family members with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk for developing it themselves. Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaskans, African Americans and Hispanics all have a higher than normal rate of type 2 diabetes.

Increased age

High blood pressure and high cholesterol

History of gestational diabetes

What You Can Do

Diabetes food plans are often geared toward helping people lose, rather than gain, weight. This can make it harder to figure out how to gain weight in a healthy way.

Before trying the tips below, talk with your doctor or dietician. They can help you set the right diet and exercise goals for you, as well as answer any questions you may have.

There are many apps available to help you manage your condition and make the right food choices. Look for apps that help you track blood sugar and BMI.


Some options include:

GlucOracle: This glucose forecasting app uses crowdsourcing to analyze the estimated amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat, calories, and fiber in each meal. It also predicts what your glucose level will be after eating.

SuperTracker: This app helps you gain weight by providing comprehensive nutritional information on over 8,000 food items. It also tracks your nutritional targets, diet, and activity levels against your goals.

If these dont appeal to you, weve also rounded up the best diabetes management and calorie counter apps of the year.

Recommended Reading: Insulin Inhibits Glucagon


How Do You Test For Type 2 Diabetes

There are a variety of blood tests that may indicate whether you have type 2 diabetes. Let’s take a look at each test and see what different results could mean for you and your health.

Blood sugar level chart

  • Frequent infections

  • Slow healing of cuts and bruises

If your blood sugar level measures from 100 to 125, you have impaired fasting glucose, and this may be an indication that you have pre-diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above 200 mg/dL, with symptoms of diabetes , a second test may not be necessary to reach the diagnosis.

Random blood sugar test

This test is done without any special preparation, such as fasting overnight. Even if you’ve recently eaten and your blood sugar level is at its peak, the level shouldn’t be above 200 mg/dL. If it is and you also have symptoms of type 2 diabetes, you can expect a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Oral sugar tolerance test

This test requires you to visit a lab or a healthcare professional after at least an eight-hour fast. At the office or lab, you will drink about eight ounces of a sweet liquid that contains a lot of sugar . Your blood sugar level will be measured before you drink the liquid, then after one hour and again after two hours. If your blood sugar level is 200 mg/dL or above after two hours, you may have diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes And Weight Gain Is Common

Can Type 2 Diabetes Make You Gain Weight

Type 2 diabetes and weight gain can be considered as a common health condition that can be found among people who live out there in the world. When you deep dive and take a look at this health condition, you will be able to figure out numerous risks associated with it. Among those risks, obesity is one of the most prominent risks.


According to a recent experiment conducted, it has been identified that around 90% of the people who are dealing with type 2 diabetes are obese. Therefore, you should never ignore type 2 diabetes and weight gain. You need to be careful of it at all times and take appropriate measures to overcome the hassle and frustration that you are facing.

Don’t Miss: Insulin Secretion By A Beta Cell In The Pancreas

How Does Elevated Insulin Contribute To Weight Gain

When there is a lot of excess insulin and blood sugar in our blood stream, it signals our body to put that excess sugar in storage. We can store some sugar in our liver and muscles, however, when these are full our body start to store the extra sugar as fat. This of course starts to cause weight gain.

Will Losing Weight Help Manage Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes can improve their blood sugar numbers by losing 5 to 10 percent of their body weight, according to John Hopkins Medicine.

But dieting is already tough when you don’t have a medical condition. Since insulin as well as other medications used to treat diabetes can make it harder to lose the weight necessary to get blood sugar numbers under control, some extra effort may be necessary to get that scale moving in the right direction.


“To reduce the risk of weight gain with diabetes, it is important to manage glucose levels through a healthy diet and exercise,” Schrager says.

She recommends meeting with a registered dietitian to come up with a meal plan that’s individualized to your lifestyle and needs. But you can also adopt the following healthy guidelines to get you started.

Also Check: Which Of The Following Symptoms Is Not Associated With Type 1 Diabetes

What Can You Do To Improve Your Health And Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Losing weight is one of the most beneficial ways you can help prevent type 2 diabetes. Moderate and sustained weight-loss can improve insulin action and decrease fasting sugar concentrations.

For many individuals, simply adjusting their caloric intake and beginning an exercise program can greatly improve their type 2 diabetes and overall health.


Healthy meal plan

Weight-loss occurs when energy expenditure exceeds energy intake. Creating a calorie deficit will result in weight-loss. Writing down the food, portion size and calorie amount in a food diary will help you become aware of the foods you consume and provide objective evidence of calorie intake.

Exercise program

Regular exercise helps maintain weight-loss and prevent weight regain. It also improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control and may decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A goal should be set for 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise five times per week. The exercise does not need to occur in a single session to be beneficial. Dividing the activity into multiple and short episodes produces similar benefits and can enhance compliance.

Benefits Of Losing Extra Weight

Does INSULIN cause WEIGHT gain? Doctor makes it easy to understand.

There are so many benefits to losing extra weight both physically and emotionally.

Extra weight around your waist means fat can build up around your organs, like your liver and pancreas. This can cause something called insulin resistance. So losing this weight could help the insulin you produce or the insulin you inject work properly.


And as you start to lose weight and get more active, you and your healthcare team may need to look at your medication, especially if you treat your diabetes with insulin or sulphonylurea. This might mean reducing the dose or making other adjustments, but talk to your healthcare team about it. For some people, needing fewer diabetes medications is a great motivation for losing weight.

Although getting type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with weight, losing any extra weight will help you reduce your risk of complications and could mean injecting less insulin.

And if you have type 2 diabetes, losing around 5% of your body weight can have real benefits for your health. If you have obesity, you are more likely to put your diabetes into remission if you lose a larger amount of weight,15kg , as quickly and safely as possible following your diagnosis. This could mean coming off your diabetes medication completely a life-changing possibility. This is even more likely if you lose the weight nearer to your diagnosis and quickly. It’s a myth that losing weight slowly is better for you.

Douglas Twenefour, our Deputy Head of Care and dietitian

Don’t Miss: Too Much Metformin


You Dont Get Enough Quality Sleep

Remedy: Aim to get seven to nine hours of quality zzzs each night choose diabetes-friendly nighttime snacks.

Not only is a lack of sleep tied to insulin resistance, it can wreak havoc on hormones associated with weight gain. When youre not getting enough sleep, your body makes more ghrelin , and less leptin , notes the National Sleep Foundation. Lack of sleep is also a stress on the body, says Shrodes: One way the body reacts to stress is often with elevated blood sugar.

Yet another basic problem with staying up late, Powers says, is that people tend to eat more. Being up late makes you more likely to snack, she says. You may also be more inclined to choose high-calorie sweet, starchy, and salty late-night snacks, according to past research. Many starchy snacks are not the best choice for balancing your blood sugar, losing weight, or maintaining a healthy weight.

It Starts With Finding A Way To Eat Fewer Calories Than You Need

A calorie is a unit of energy, which is in the food and drink we consume. Your body uses energy for everything we do from breathing and sleeping to exercising. When you eat, youre replacing the energy youve used, which helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

As a general guide, government recommendations are that men need around 2,500kcal a day to maintain a healthy weight, and women need around 2,000kcal a day. But most people need different amounts of calories based on how their bodies work, how active they are and any weight management goals.


Weve put together some 7-day meal plans to help you lose weight. They’re all clinically approved, nutritionally balanced, calorie and carb counted, and can help if you want to lose weight:

Evidence shows that the best approach is the one that youre likely to stick to. So the key is to find a plan that you enjoy and fits in with the rest of your life. Everyones different and what works for some may not for others.

Recommended Reading: Side Effects Of Long Term Insulin Use

How Much Weight Do I Have To Lose To Lower My Risk Of Diabetes

If you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, then losing 5-10 percent of your body weight can help improve your blood sugar numbers. If you are pre-diabetic and can lose this weight, you will lower your risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent.

In addition to helping you lose weight, exercise can improve your blood sugar numbers. Learn more about our weight loss services, as well as management of metabolic disorders.


What Is Type 2 Diabetes

Does Insulin Cause Weight Gain In Type 1 Diabetics ...

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, potentially debilitating and often fatal medical condition requiring regular monitoring of an individual’s blood sugar level and treatment. In type 2 diabetes, the body either does not properly produce or use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps move sugar into cells. Therefore, the body becomes resistant to insulin. This resistance causes high blood sugar levels.

You May Like: What Kind Of Candy Can Diabetics Eat

Other Symptoms Of Diabetes In Children

Similar to adults, hallmark early signs of diabetes in children are increased urination and thirst. When blood sugar is high, it triggers a reaction in the body that pulls fluid from tissues. This will leave a child constantly thirsty, causing them to drink more fluids, which will result in a need for more bathroom breaks throughout the day. Dehydration in children becomes a risk if this occurs.

In addition to the signs of dehydration, children may have these symptoms, too:

  • Sunken eyes or cheeks
  • Not enough wet diapers

Here are some traits of diabetes found in kids:


  • Fatigue: If a child is often tired, it may be a clue that their body is having trouble converting sugar in the bloodstream into energy.
  • Vision changes: High blood sugar levels can cause blurred vision and other eyesight problems.
  • Fruity smelling breath: This sign could be indicative of too much sugar in the blood.
  • Extreme hunger: When a child’s muscles and organs arent receiving enough energy, it can cause extreme hunger.
  • Unusual behavior: If a child seems moodier or more restless than normaland its in conjunction with other symptoms that could indicate diabetesit could be cause for concern.
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Heavy breathing

Diabetes can be life-threatening if left untreated. If your child is showing signs of diabetes, its important for you to schedule a healthcare providers appointment as soon as possible.

How Does Excess Weight Impact Type 2 Diabetes

Excess weight can greatly affect your health in many ways, with type 2 diabetes being one of the most serious. There are many forms of measurement used to evaluate someone’s excess weight however, the most commonly-used method is calculating your body mass index .

BMI is a number calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by his or her height in meters squared. BMI is a useful tool used in determining the degree of an individual’s excess weight. There are five weight status categories that you may fit into:

  • Underweight

  • Obese

  • Morbidly obese

When an individual predisposed to diabetes has excess weight, the cells in the body become less sensitive to the insulin that is released from the pancreas. There is some evidence that fat cells are more resistant to insulin than muscle cells. Individuals affected by type 2 diabetes who exercise appear to reduce the severity of insulin-resistance because the exercising muscles use the extra sugar found in the blood therefore, the body does not secrete insulin and the sugar is no longer diverted to excess fat cells.

It’s not just how much an individual weighs, but also where they carry the weight that puts them at greater risk for health problems. Individuals carrying more weight around their waist are more likely to suffer from obesity-related conditions than someone who carries more weight in their hips and thighs .


Read Also: Insulin Alpha Cells

If Our Body Is Working Smoothly The Following Occurs:

– When we eat food, our body breaks it down and it is absorbed into our bloodstream as blood sugar.

– Our body notices the increase in blood sugar after we eat and signals our pancreas to release insulin.

– Insulin is a messenger. When it is released it travels to all the cells in the body and helps them to open up and take in sugar so it can be used for fuel.

– Insulin also tells the liver to store blood sugar for later.

– When blood sugar travels into the cells, the amount of sugar in your bloodstream decreases signaling your insulin levels to decrease as well.

Understanding Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Gain
  • Contact Us
  • This educational brochure is made to help you gain knowledge about type 2 diabetes and obesity. Excess weight, obesity and severe obesity are all risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Often times, people are not aware of the health risk of excess weight until they are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

    In this brochure, we will cover various topics, such as:

    • Type 2 diabetes
    • Defining excess weight and how it impacts the body
    • Managing diabetes and excess weight through diet, exercise and medications
    • The impact of excess weight on type 2 diabetes

    What is Excess Weight?

    Excess weight and obesity can affect a persons health in many ways. Many methods of measurement can be used to evaluate how much excess weight a person has. One of these methods is calculating body mass index . BMI is a number calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. There are four weight status categories .

    Obesity increases a persons risk of developing:

    • Hypertension
    • Dyslipidemia

    What is Type 2 Diabetes?

    Difficulties of high blood sugar and insulin resistance include:

    • Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
    • Neuropathy
    • Nephropathy
    • Retinopathy
    • Amputation

    How does Excess Weight Impact Type 2 Diabetes?

    People affected by excess weight, especially obesity and severe obesity, are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes as a related condition of their excess weight.

    Obesity and severe obesity greatly increase your risk of having:

    Inactive Lifestyles:

    Recommended Reading: Adverse Effects Of Metformin

    How Much Exercise Should I Get Per Week

    It’s recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week. Exercise can include:

    • Walking
    • Doing work around the house like gardening or vacuuming

    It’s also recommended to do strength training exercises a couple of times a week.

    Research shows that exercise, even without weight loss, improves blood sugar levels and helps with insulin resistance.

    When increasing your exercise time or starting a new exercise program, first discuss how this will affect your medications and blood sugar levels with your healthcare provider before starting. Since exercise can affect these, you may need to make adjustments to your medications or have some snacks with you to prevent low blood sugar levels.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Popular Articles