Learn If You Are at Risk for Diabetes

Dr. David Katz: The single greatest driver of what really is epidemic diabetes. Is epidemic obesity, excess body fat, is the root cause of insulin resistance which lead to type 2 diabetes. But the body mass index is a very blunt instrument for measuring excess body fat. Some people with the high BMI don't have excess body fat; they will had a muscle mass. Some people with a normal BMI actually have excess body fat and all the worst places namely around the middle, and in the liver, were really causes metabolic mayhem.

So, what we're learning is, we have to live very carefully at diabetes risk factors other than just weight. If you have elevated triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, those are signs of insulin resistance and indication at even if your body mass index waist circumference are normal. It may be appropriate to look for increase body fat in around the middle. But important to get the root cause here, because if you address it effectively, we know we can actually prevent diabetes and prevent heart disease.


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