Achieve Glycemic Control with Weight Loss

Improve Diabetes with Moderate Weight Loss

Overweight or obese diabetic individuals can improve their insulin resistance and glycemic outcomes if they strive for a moderate weight loss. By moderate weight loss, we mean 5 to 7 percent of your body weight. For example, if a person weighs 75 kilograms, moderate weight loss would implicate losing 3.5 kilograms. So, losing 3.5 kilograms improves your body’s response to insulin resistance and overall glucose levels.

How Do You Calculate your BMI?

Many people are ignorant of their current weight or their weight status. By weight status we mean healthy weight, overweight, obese or underweight. You can calculate your body mass index (BMI) using the formula: Weight (kilograms) / Height (centimeters) / Height (centimeters) x 10,000. For example, if a person weighs 75 kilograms and is 5 feet and 6 inches tall (167 cm), the BMI value of that person would be (75/167/167 x 10,000) 26.8, which belongs to the overweight category.

The different BMI categories include:

BMI value below 18.5: Underweight

BMI between 18.5 and 24.9: Healthy or normal weight

BMI between 25.0 and 29.9: Overweight

BMI above 29.9: Obese

BMI value is not the only value that can determine obesity/overweight and it is necessary that you consider physical measurements such as body fat percentage, distribution of body fat and weight circumference before arriving upon a conclusion.

Also, it is unclear if weight loss alone is enough to control glycemic value. Research also implicates improvements in HgA1c and blood lipids such as triglycerides and cholesterol when some people with diabetes lose weight, but that’s not the case with everyone. Balanced blood sugar levels are the best way to control diabetes.

Eating right and including regular physical activity are crucial for managing diabetes. After consulting with your registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com and diabetes health care team, you can opt for a healthy diet plan that is best suited for your body type.

Moderate weight loss aids in improving diabetes values in overweight or obese people. But, your goal should be glycemic control and meeting your nutritionist/dietitian will help you achieve this goal.