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Why do skinny people still have diabetes?

People of normal weight, even thin, can also have diabetes due to genetic factors, lack of exercise, and unhealthy eating habits.

According to Healthline, a common myth that only overweight people get diabetes. In fact, a thin person can still have high blood sugar. While weight can be a risk factor for developing diabetes, it’s not everything. Many people with type 1 diabetes are normal weight, even thin.

In addition to weight, many other factors can contribute to high blood sugar including genetics, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits (smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol, eating lots of sweets), poor sleep. quality…

Dr. Leon Fogelfeld (Head of Endocrinology, Cook County Hospital – USA), said that genes and lifestyle play a certain role. A person has a 40% higher risk of diabetes if a parent has the disease. Diabetes can also occur in thin people who do not receive enough nutrients before birth or during childhood. A person of normal weight is more likely to develop diabetes if he or she is black or Asian.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. In people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas can then no longer produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar from the blood into the cells. Cells use this sugar for energy. Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in the blood.

Weight is not a risk factor for type 1 diabetes, but genetics. Most people with type one diabetes have a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range of 18.5 to 24.9.

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children. Despite the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, some studies suggest that weight is not a significant risk factor for this type of diabetes. Another study found that an increase in type 2 diabetes was associated with increased childhood obesity.

The majority of cases of diabetes are type two diabetes. With type two diabetes, the pancreas stops producing enough insulin, the cells become resistant to insulin, or both. Weight is one of the factors that contribute to the development of type two diabetes.

According to Healthline, an estimated 87.5% of adults in the US with type two diabetes are overweight. However, weight is not the only factor. About 12.5% ​​of adults in the US with type two diabetes have a BMI in the normal range.





People with a low body mass index are still at risk for diabetes.  Photo: Freepik

People with a low body mass index are still at risk for diabetes. Image: Freepik

Risk factors for type two diabetes

Thin people can develop type two diabetes, besides, there are other factors such as:

Genetic

Family history is one of the leading risk factors for type two diabetes. If you have a parent with type two diabetes, your risk is 40%. If both parents have the condition, the risk increases to 70%.

Belly Fat

Research shows that people with type 2 diabetes, despite being of normal weight, often have a lot of visceral fat, fat in the abdomen. This fat releases hormones that affect glucose and interfere with fat metabolism. Visceral fat can make the metabolic structure of a person of normal weight look like the structure of an overweight person, even if they are thin.

To determine if you have fat in your area, measure your waist, then your hips. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get your waist-to-hip ratio. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy waist-to-hip ratio in women is 0.85 or less and in men it is 0.9 or less. In both men and women, a waist-to-hip ratio of 1 or more is considered high, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as other health problems associated with overweight and obesity.

High cholesterol

High cholesterol can affect anyone. Genetics largely determines cholesterol, not weight. Some people who are not overweight still have risk factors for an unhealthy metabolism. This includes high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. If you have a family history of high cholesterol or high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to have regular check-ups and routine physicals.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs in women during pregnancy. You didn’t have diabetes before you got pregnant, but you may have prediabetes without even knowing it. It occurs in 2 to 10% of pregnancies.

Most cases of gestational diabetes go away on their own after the pregnancy ends. However, women who had the disease during pregnancy were 10 times more likely to develop type two diabetes in the 10 years after becoming pregnant, compared with women who did not have gestational diabetes. About half of women who develop diabetes during pregnancy will later develop type two diabetes.

Giving birth to a heavy baby

Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have very large babies, weighing 4 kg or more. Not only does this make delivery more difficult, but someone with gestational diabetes can develop type two diabetes later in life.

Sedentary lifestyle

Exercise is important for good health. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle, regardless of weight, are nearly twice as likely to develop type two diabetes as active people. Whether you’re underweight or overweight or not, exercise can be a goal of 150 minutes per week.

Unhealthy eating habits

Normal-weight people whose diets may also put them at risk for type two diabetes. A high-sugar diet increases the risk of diabetes, even when taking into account body weight, exercise, and total calories.

Sugar is found in sweets, but is also abundant in other foods, such as processed snacks and salad dressings. To prevent diabetes, a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and nuts can help.

Smoke

Smoking increases your risk of a number of health conditions, including diabetes. A study published in the American Library of Medicine in 2000 found that people who smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day were twice as likely to develop diabetes as non-smokers, regardless of weight.

Compared with type 2 obese people, thin people with diabetes need insulin injections at a younger age, Dr. Fogelfeld said. That’s because certain cells in the pancreas fail early and quickly, possibly due to genes. But lifestyle factors like smoking and drinking also make it worse.

You can have your blood sugar tested to see if you have diabetes, and your doctor can help you find the right treatment.

Kim Uyen (According to Healthline, Web MD)

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