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Have Diabetes? Exercise Is Worth the Effort

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Gregory Santulli
“Lose some weight” is probably one of the most common pieces of medical advice, particularly in this country (where a full 37% of adults technically qualify as “obese”). The benefits of losing weight are well known — weight loss cuts down on heart disease, extends life expectancy, lowers the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes, lowers the risk of stroke and heart attack, and on the list goes. And for anyone who already has diabetes, weight loss can be highly beneficial in improving blood glucose control.
 
Lower BMI (body-mass index, a measure of weight relative to height) is associated with lower insulin requirements for those of us with Type 1, and lowering or sometimes even eliminating the need for injected insulin for those with Type 2. Furthermore,
 
the insulin we DO inject works more efficiently as we lower our BMI, since decreasing excess body fat is known to improve insulin sensitivity.
I could go on, but I think the point is pretty clear — reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is a universally good idea, and one that all of us with diabetes should strive for (and I should point out here, I am part of that 37% of Americans I mentioned above, so I know how hard it can be to achieve that healthy weight — it has become a central focus for me lately, in fact, and the end goal is a long journey ahead of where I stand today). But reaching that healthy weight can be a complicated thing for anyone taking insulin.
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Gregory Santulli
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