Losing weight can help overweight young people avoid diabetes
Overweight young people can still curb their chances of getting diabetes by losing weight before they reach middle age, says a study from University of London.
Men who were overweight at age 21, but lost weight by the time they were 50 lowered their risks of getting diabetes to equal those who were of normal weight when they were younger.
Men who were overweight by age 50 however, had increased chances of suffering a heart attack, stroke or diabetes.
Lead researcher Professor Christopher Owen used the the records of men’s military service, which recorded their BMI at 21, as well as participant recall and followed up with them 30 years later. He proved that the effects of being overweight early in life are reversible.
“Even in men who carried out UK National Service and were relatively thin in early life compared to more recent men, higher levels of fatness in early adult life appear to be associated with later diabetes,” he said.
“However, effects of early body mass appear to be reversible by subsequent weight loss. These findings have important implications for Type 2 diabetes prevention, especially in more recent adults with high levels of obesity.”
But the study, which examined almost 5000 men, found that a higher BMI earlier in life did not impact on the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
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