Obesity, Diabetes and Weight Loss

What you need to know about diabetes after having weight loss surgery, and what you can do to prevent and overcome the chronic disease.

Type-2 diabetes is one of the most common obesity-related chronic disease. It is a serious and potentially debilitating condition that will often necessitate changes to the way you eat, think and move. Weight loss surgery is currently considered one of the most effective methods for treating type-2 diabetes, and preventing the disease in obese individuals who are at high risk. However, even after weight loss surgery, there are things that you’ll have to do to make sure that diabetes is not a concern in your life.

The Obesity & Diabetes Connection

It is possible to develop type-2 diabetes without being overweight, and there are many people who are overweight or obese who do not have diabetes. However, almost 90% of people diagnosed and living with type-2 diabetes are overweight. Researchers claim that of those who do have type-2 diabetes can often reduce the severity of the illness by making small changes to their lifestyle, including dietary and exercise habits. For overweight and obese individuals with type-2 diabetes, a weight loss of just 5 to 10 percent of total body mass is typically enough to see small improvements with this chronic condition.

There have been many studies looking at the effectiveness of weight loss surgery in the treatment of type-2 diabetes, and these studies have found bariatric surgery to be so successful that those who have diabetes may qualify for bariatric surgery even if their BMI is lower than the typically suggested range. Newer studies have been looking at the long-term success of weight loss surgery as a treatment.

Most recently in a study published in July 2015, researchers out of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that 40% of people who used weight loss surgery to overcome diabetes were still free of the disease three years after the original intervention. This was compared to 0% in the control group, who used only lifestyle changes to lose weight. Not only was weight loss surgery found 40% more successful than lifestyle changes alone, but in contradiction to commonly held beliefs, lifestyle changes were found to be largely ineffective for long-term success.

If you are struggling with diabetes and obesity, then speak to a weight loss surgeon about your options for improving your health. Overcoming diabetes can change your health and life for the better. For those battling with obesity, the prospect of overcoming or preventing type-2 diabetes makes weight loss surgery a win-win situation.