Normally, your pancreas produces a hormone called insulin to turn your blood sugar, or glucose, into energy.
If you don’t produce enough insulin, however, or your body doesn’t respond to insulin as it should, you have Type 2 diabetes, which comes with a long list of symptoms and risks for other conditions — with overweight and obesity chief among them.
Dr. James Y. Lee, our board-certified family practice physician at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care, helps his patients throughout Woodstock, Georgia, understand the relationship between their weight and diabetes and helps them manage both conditions simultaneously.
Diabetes and weight problems go hand in hand. Carrying extra pounds puts you at risk of getting diabetes, it makes your diabetes harder to manage, and it contributes to the progression of your diabetes.
Clearly, it’s important to manage your weight if you have diabetes, but that’s easier said than done. Losing weight is never easy, but when you have diabetes, it’s even tougher.
Often, the traditional approach of lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) isn’t enough, because other variables are involved, including metabolic issues, pharmacologically induced weight gain, and psychological factors.
That’s why you need to work with a medical professional like Dr. Lee, who knows how to approach diabetes, weight loss, and particularly diabetic weight loss.
Although being overweight doesn’t directly cause diabetes, it puts you into a high-risk category. If you don’t have diabetes but are overweight, you should know that losing just 5%-10% of your body weight can decrease your risk of getting diabetes by 58%, so it’s in your best interest to lose a few pounds now.
If you do have diabetes, losing weight can improve your blood sugar numbers and reduce your need for medications.
Diabetes adds many challenges to your health care as you focus on stabilizing your blood sugar, managing your hunger and thirst, monitoring your nerve health, and battling fatigue. You may find that traditional diet and exercise routines don’t work for you, or that they exacerbate your diabetes symptoms.
To safely manage your weight and your diabetes, it takes careful monitoring to ensure your treatments and medications are working for you, not against you.
For example, if you’re taking medication to lower your blood glucose level, that drug may be the very thing that’s causing you to gain weight.
Dr. Lee examines your physical and mental health, looks into your personal and family medical histories, and takes into consideration your lifestyle, your age, your goals, and all the things you’ve tried so far to lose weight. This gives him valuable information to treat you holistically and safely.
From supplements and medications to nutritional advice and professional support, Dr. Lee becomes your partner as you learn to manage your diabetes and weight. To learn more or get started, contact us at 770-927-8273 or book your appointment online today.
