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by: JuliaHanf
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Very few people realize the profound effect that weight has on diabetes. Even instances of gestational diabetes are much greater in patients that are overweight than in those that are not. Type 2, or adult onset diabetes is more commonly found in overweight people than those that are within their 'ideal' weight ranges. In fact, almost 90% of those with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. If you are suffering from Type 2 diabetes, the best gift you could possibly give yourself just might be the gift of getting your weight under control.

Among those that suffer from Type 2 diabetes almost 40% have high blood pressure, which is another condition that is believed to be exacerbated by excess weight. Being overweight might also lead to a condition known as insulin resistance in which the body no longer responds to the insulin that is needed to assist the body in using sugar and glucose as fuel on a cellular level.

There are some things you can do to help yourself out if you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or labeled at risk for this devastating condition. First of all, take off the pounds. I know this is much easier said than done. Dieting is never easy and rarely fun for the average person. However, if you do not begin to take drastic steps toward procuring the best possible health for yourself you may not be able to enjoy the quality of life you had planned for your golden years. Let your condition be your motivation and make plans to enjoy watching your grandchildren and great grandchildren graduate college.

Fight it standing up. Don't sit down and let Diabetes control you. Stand up and take control of your body back. This is a fight to the finish and if you let it, diabetes will be your end. If you fight it standing up, lose the weight, get out there and exercise, listen to the doctor's orders and follow them. Find the strength within you to battle this disease head on. You'll be amazed at what happens when you decide to stand up and fight for your health.

Along with nutrition, we have to consider exercise. Exercise has been found to not only combat an increasing weight problem, but it actually increases a cell's insulin sensitivity. By exercising, the cardiovascular system, endocrinal system and digestive system are greatly improved. The body's metabolism increases, burning more calories than at rest. The result is a caloric deficit that translates into shed weight. It is important to select activities according to an individual's abilities and interests. By doing so, the chance of exercise becoming a reoccurring event is increased. A person will return to an activity that they truly enjoyed.

The same thing goes for exercise. Today, there are many more activities to choose from when making healthy lifestyle changes. Any activity that brings enjoyment makes a difference. Some would argue that yoga isn't active enough to generate weight loss. On the contrary, yoga is proven to reduce stress levels, that alone can reduce the amount of fat that a body stores. Whatever activity a person chooses, it should be appropriate for that person's abilities. If you don't enjoy yourself, why would you want to do it again? The body and all of its processes are complex in design, but basic in principle. If there is one thing that science has been certain in discovering it's that all of the systems are intertwined. What we do, see and eat affects us in ways we would never have imagined. Taking responsibility and action to prevent or manage diabetes is a step in common sense. Why exist when you can live?