Most of the 1 in 10 Americans suffering from diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, a condition where your body is unable to use insulin properly to meet its needs. The insulin hormone helps your body burn sugar (glucose) for energy.
When your body can’t properly process sugar, it builds up in your blood and damages virtually every system in your body.
Anita Petruzzelli, MD, and our team at BodyLogicMD in Glastonbury, Connecticut, take an integrative medicine approach to controlling your diabetes. One significant measure you can adopt is weight loss.
Dr. Petruzzelli addresses imbalances from the inside out with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for weight loss. Since it’s National Diabetes Month, let’s dive into the facts about how weight loss helps you control Type 2 diabetes.
Medical research has long proven that weight loss can treat and even reverse the symptoms of diabetes. A 2019 study in the UK revealed that participants who lost at least 33 pounds achieved normal blood glucose levels without medication and maintained it 24 months later.
Of course, regaining weight will likely cause your blood sugar levels to rise again and increase your risk of serious health complications.
Studies also show that those in the earliest stages of Type 2 diabetes benefit most from losing weight, although weight loss helps everyone to some degree.
The high blood sugar levels of Type 2 diabetes are directly connected to numerous health risks. The most common is damage to your blood vessels. This raises your risk of:
High blood sugar can also lead to vision loss and even blindness.
Scientists are still studying exactly how weight loss helps you put Type 2 diabetes into remission. One theory is that fat cells in your liver and pancreas cause insulin-producing cells to slow or stop production.
Weight loss reduces the amount of fat affecting these organs, restarting insulin production. Regardless of the cause, studies prove that losing weight and keeping it off can help maintain normal blood sugar levels.
In addition, studies also show that even losing 7-10% of your body weight can reduce your risk of diabetes if you already have prediabetes.
While this may sound drastic, it really isn’t much of a challenge. For example, a person weighing 200 pounds can reduce their risk of moving from prediabetes to diabetes by losing as little as 14 pounds (7% of 200).
At BodyLogicMD, we use a hand-tailored approach to help you make the integrative lifestyle changes you need for effective weight loss.
Dr. Petruzzelli begins with a comprehensive evaluation to search for factors that stand in the way of weight loss. This evaluation can include genetic testing, food sensitivity testing, and metabolic testing.
She also uses advanced technologies to get an accurate picture of your health, including:
Dr. Petruzzelli then creates a customized nutrition and exercise strategy to eliminate unhealthy foods while adding factors to kick-start your metabolism for weight loss. She also offers nutrients and supplements when needed and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to help bring your body into balance.
When you need an experienced guide on your weight loss journey to control Type 2 diabetes, Dr. Petruzzelli can help you reach your health and wellness goals. Call or message us at BodyLogicMD to learn more about customized weight loss to control your Type 2 diabetes for a better life.
