> There's a lot of interesting and controversial research coming out - SciAm > just did a nice overview of the arguments raging about the health effects of > obesity. Since I just read the article it reminded me of this thread. > > For example while most people "know" that being fat causes diabetes the CDC > studies show that while the incidence of obesity grew sharply in the 1990's > the incidence of diabetes didn't. > > Also studies of morbidly obese kids show no predilection to diabetes.
I was under the impression (note that it's just an impression, and I totally could be wrong) that the studies only looked at type I diabetes. So, um, am I wrong about that? > Even among adults there's interesting findings. > > One trail found that regardless of diet or weight regular exercise (walking > 2.5 hours per week for example) reduces the risk of diabetes by up to 69%. Hmm. I know that excercise can actually allow cells to absorb a small abount of glucose without insulin. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. > Nobody's saying that massive weight gain is good (although, as an aside, > being underweight poses a much more severe health risk that being > overweight). There are other health risks (even if only "mechanical" risks > like muscle ache) and definite social ramifications. Oh, I know all about the health problems of being underweight. I'm almost 6' and bottomed out at about 115lbs. I currently weigh just under 130 (and am gaining slowly). I've been the chunky kid and the skeleton both, and both have social ramifications. :-( > But the ingrained notion that "fat" is the root cause of all these ills is > being challenged. At a simple level, for example, we're finally asking: > does being overweight cause diabetes or does having diabetes cause weight > gain? Well, being overweight is usually more of a straw-->camel kind of thing. Most people with type II diabetes have a genetic predispostion that causes them to have or develop a higher tolerance for insulin. I have this tolerance, incedentally, and take enough insulin for someone significantly heavier than myself who doesn't. As far as weight gain as a symptom goes, everything I've ever heard says that running a high blood sugar level (regardless of whether you are getting enough glucose into cells to keep them going) causes weight loss. So I'd say (though I can't really back it up with studies or anything) that weight gain is a cause, not a symptom. --Ben ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:159626 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
