If you’re obese, you will be susceptible to develop diabetes. Isn’t that what we have all believed all along? But not all obese people will develop type 2 diabetes, if a new study is to be believed.
Oregon State University researchers undertook an analytical study decoding the mystery around type 2 diabetes, which is a metabolic disease. It impacts way the body metabolizes glucose, a sugar which is a major source of energy. And it is often associated with obesity, which is a result of eating excess fat and sugar, and dearth of physical activity.
What does the study say about the link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes?
According to the study findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, a particular type of gut microbe leads to white adipose tissue containing macrophage cells. These are large cells that are part of the immune system, and are associated with insulin resistance.
In the human body, white adipose tissue is the main type of fat.
“Type 2 diabetes is a global pandemic, and the number of diagnoses is expected to keep increasing over the next 10 years,” Natalia Shulzhenko of Oregon State University said in a statement.
“The so-called ‘western diet’ – high in saturated fats and refined sugars – is one of the primary factors. But gut bacteria have an important role to play in mediating the effects of diet,” Shulzhenko added.
In diabetes, sugar tends to build up in the bloodstream overtime. It can be detrimental to major organs, if the disease is left untreated.
Also read: 3 simple tips for every diabetic to follow the ABCDE rule to the T
The role of fat in diabetes
While we cannot undermine the role of obesity in diabetes cases, where the excess fat gets stored in the body can also be an important factor.
Dr Pramod Tripathi, Founder, Freedom From Diabetes, tells Health Shots, “The site of fat deposition determines the tendency towards developing diabetes more than overall obesity. Under-the-skin fat (subcutaneous fat) doesn’t make one prone to diabetes. But the fat inside muscles, liver and pancreas does. So, a sumo wrestler weighing 150 kg who has a lot of subcutaneous fat may not develop diabetes. But a thin fat Indian (this is research term) who weighs 55 to 65 kg might be diabetic.”
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