| Do you feel your life has become a nightmare since | | | | supposed to. The cause of insulin resistance is central |
| being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Let's take this | | | | or abdominal obesity, so if your have a waist |
| one step at a time, right from the beginning. | | | | measurement larger than your hip measurement, you |
| What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 | | | | have abdominal fat. It is this fat that has increased |
| diabetes? | | | | your risk for type 2 diabetes. |
| Type 1: | | | | Usually attention to insulin resistance is given when it |
| - a person with type 1 is totally dependent on | | | | is found you have elevated blood sugar levels. As |
| injected insulin to survive as their body is unable to | | | | well as having high blood sugars you will have high |
| make any or enough insulin | | | | levels of insulin floating around in your bloodstream. |
| - follows the autoimmune destruction of beta cells of | | | | Why do you have high levels of insulin in your blood? |
| the pancreas | | | | Because your cells no longer respond to normal insulin |
| - occurs in children and young adults up to the age of | | | | levels and your pancreas works harder and harder |
| 30 years | | | | making more and more insulin. As your insulin levels |
| - a person with type 1 will always need insulin, either | | | | become more and more ineffective, your blood sugar |
| injected or delivered via an insulin pump | | | | levels start to rise. |
| Type 2: | | | | What effect do high insulin levels have on your body? |
| - traditionally type 2 has been divided into two | | | | - insulin encourages more body fat to be made |
| groups: those who are obese and those who are not | | | | - it prevents body fat from breaking down |
| - resistance to insulin: this plays an important role in | | | | - insulin encourages your body to store fat |
| those who are overweight or obese | | | | - insulin makes you crave high carbohydrate or |
| - lack of insulin: this is the problem in those who are | | | | sugary foods |
| thin or of normal body weight | | | | - it increase salt and water retention |
| - are not dependent on insulin injections to survive as | | | | - insulin prevents the release of the growth hormone |
| their body makes insulin, but their cells no longer | | | | which is thought to delay the signs of aging. The |
| respond to this insulin | | | | growth hormone is also needed for building muscle |
| - prevalence of type 2 increases with age and has a | | | | mass |
| strong genetic link. There is a higher risk of | | | | These all work together to make your type 2 |
| developing type 2 if your mother is affected and in | | | | diabetes worse. |
| people who were growth retarded intrauterine | | | | There is no "cure" for type 2 diabetes but if you |
| - it also has strong environmental links | | | | follow an appropriate low-GI carbohydrate eating |
| - symptoms often occur over a long period and the | | | | plan, exercise and follow a healthy lifestyle, there is |
| type 2 diabetic is usually over 30 years | | | | strong evidence you can reduce your blood sugar |
| The cause of type 2 diabetes in 90% of people | | | | level to within a normal range. Type 2 diabetes can |
| diagnosed, is insulin resistance. In the early stages | | | | be reversed... you just need to make the decision to |
| there is plenty of insulin... it just doesn't work as it's | | | | work on your lifestyle. |