Body mass index is an indirect measure of body fat, calculated from your height and weight. Your BMI value can tell you whether you are underweight, overweight, obese, or if you are a normal weight for your height. Diabetes occurs when you have too little insulin, because your pancreas does not make enough, or when your muscle, fat and liver cells do not respond to insulin, or both. Having a BMI in the overweight category increases your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
In Type 2 diabetes, blood glucose levels are above normal. If you're healthy, after you eat a meal, your body breaks food down into sugar, or glucose, which your blood carries to the cells in your body. Insulin helps your cells process the glucose and turn it into energy. You develop Type 2 diabetes because your cells do not use the insulin as they should, which eventually leads to your body not producing enough insulin. This results in high glucose levels in your blood, which, over time, can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections and amputation.
BMI and Diabetes
One of the primary risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes is being overweight, as the more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. You can determine if you are overweight or obese by calculating your BMI. Take your weight in pounds, and divide it by your height in inches. Divide your answer by your height in inches again, and then multiply this number by 703. The value you get is your BMI. If this number is 25.0 to 29.9, you are overweight, and if it is 30.0 or above, you are obese, meaning your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is increased. You are of a normal weight if your BMI value is between 18.5 and 24.9, and underweight if it is below 18.5.
Other Risk Factors
Other risk factors increase your likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes. If you are inactive, you have a greater risk of diabetes, because activity helps control your weight and uses glucose as energy, which makes your cells more sensitive to insulin. A family history of diabetes, such as having a parent or sibling who has it, also puts you at a higher risk. Certain races, including African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian Americans, are also more at risk of developing diabetes. Being older than 45, developing gestational diabetes when you are pregnant and having prediabetes are also risk factors. Additional risk factors include giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 lbs., having a high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level below 35 mg/dL, having high blood triglycerides and having high blood pressure. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse strongly recommends you get tested for diabetes if you are 45 years old or older and overweight. If you are younger than 45, overweight and have one or more risk factor, you should also consider seeing your doctor about testing for diabetes.
Reducing Risk
You can help reduce your risk of getting diabetes. This means making some lifestyle changes, such as reducing your calorie intake and losing a little weight, as well as increasing your activity level. This may sound overwhelming, but the Diabetes Prevention Program study of 3,234 people at a high risk for diabetes found that 5 to 7 percent weight loss, through moderate diet changes and physical activity, can delay and prevent Type 2 diabetes. If you weigh 200 lbs., for example, this means losing 10 to 14 lbs. Talk to your doctor or health care professional about realistic changes and goals you can make to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; About BMI for Adults; Feb. 15, 2009
- PubMed Health; Diabetes; Ari S. Eckman, M.D.; May 5, 2010
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Am I At Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes; November 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Type 2 Diabetes; Jan. 21, 2011
- MedlinePlus: Type 2 Diabetes -- Risk Factors; Ari S. Eckman, M.D.; Apr. 19, 2010
