If you are obese, you are at high risk for Diabetes
As people have increasingly begun to fall into the traps of a highly frenetic lifestyle in the UAE,
chronic lifestyle diseases have begun to rise at an alarming pace reaching near epidemic
proportions. Putting health and fitness on the back burners, people have given way to obesity to
rule their lives, allowing for hazardous illnesses like diabetes to take over.
“Although a lot has been done to increase the levels of awareness about diabetes, there is still
much to be done to control its massive rise. One of the basic things to understand is who is at
risk and why? As much as genetics plays a role, external factors including diet, weight and
exercise also play a significant role in the development of diabetes. Those who are over-weight
or obese, are at a far higher risk of developing diabetes,” stated Ms. Kiram El Tbayli, Slimming
Expert at VLCC International LLC, the global leading wellness group.
“The excess fat in the body leads to development of certain chemicals that can destabilize the
body’s cardiovascular and metabolic condition, grossly increasing the risk of diabetes. To curb
the rise of diabetes it is important to curb obesity, both of which are markedly related,” she said.
“To treat diabetes in the long run, it is important to gain control over your weight. At VLCC, we
have identified and successfully treated many diabetic patients for weight-loss, who have today
gone on to live healthy lives free of the disease,” Ms. El Tbayli stated, adding, “Most patients are
not even aware of the fact that they have diabetes when they walk in. Which is why we believe
regular health checkups are important.”
Experts at VLCC conduct body composition analysis and free consultation to each client,
through which many diseases are identified. Further, Body Composition Analysis helps us find
out the composition of muscles, water and fat in the body. This data helps us customize the diet
for the person.
“For the insulin dependent, we need to control the amount of carbohydrates present in the diet
to ensure it does not affect Glycemia (blood sugar) in the diet. An interesting point to note here
is that as a diabetes patient loses weight, their insulin sensitivity improves which further helps in
keeping diabetes under control,” Ms. El Tbayli explained, adding, “All diets should be balanced,
which means that the diets should have adequate quantity of Carbohydrates, Fats and Protein
along with suitable amounts of Minerals and vitamins.”
“When people consume fatty or sugary food, especially those who have diabetes or heart
diseases, the glycemic level along with along with PUFA and Saturated Fats goes up. PUFA
stands for PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids and Staturated fats come from Meat fats, Milk Fats and
Butter. High glycemic content combined with high amount of unhealthy fats, puts the body at a
greater risk of diabetes led health problems and/or unwanted strain on heart, which in the long
run could lead to serious health implication,” she further explained.
“People with diabetes and heart diseases should opt for food with less than 7 per cent Saturated
Fat and less than 10 per cent PUFA. Further, instead of having unhealthy fats, people should
opt for MUFA (Mono Unsaturated Fat), which is present in Olive oil, nuts and the like. MUFA
helps in improving HDL (High-density lipoprotein), which is the good cholesterol,” she said.
