Relationship between genetic susceptibility, obesity and the development of type 2 diabetes
In this assignment I will focus on the relationship between genetic susceptibility, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused predominantly by the autoimmune destruction of the insulin- producing β-cells of the pancreatic islets, whilst type 2 diabetes results from both impaired insulin secretion and resistance to the action of insulin (Dougherty and Lister, 2011). Diabetes is a major global health problem and in 2010 was estimated to affect 285 million individuals worldwide. This figure is projected to rise to more than 400 million over the next two decades as a result of changing population demographics, such as ageing and urbanization, and changes in lifestyle, such as diet and exercise, and the associated increase in obesity (Holt and Hanley, 2012)
Epidemiology is the study of patterns, causes and effects of disease in a population. Type 2 diabetes is more common in developed countries. (Fehily, 1999). The population of obese individuals has gone up rapidly every year (Knight, 1984). During the past few decades, diabetes has gone up in many parts of the world and this is associated with increasing obesity (Fehily, 1999).
Obesity is a condition of being overweight and is defined clinically by a body mass index (BMI). (Prentice and Jebb, 2003). Body mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared (NHS choices, 2012). The desirable BMI is in the range of 18.5 – 24.9, overweight is 25 – 29.9 clinically obese is 30 – 35.9 and morbidity obese is 36.0 and over (World Health Organization, 1998).
The massive explosion in obesity rates worldwide has largely been responsible for the increase in diab...
... middle of paper ...
...NHS choices. 2012 Obesity. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 2006. Obesity: Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children. NICE clinical guideline 43.
Prentice, A.M. and Jebb, S.A. 2003. Fast foods, energy density and obesity: a possible mechanistic link. Obesity Reviews 4(4), 187-194.
Tidy, C. 2012. Tests for Glucose(Sugar) and HbA1c. Available at http://www.patient.co.uk/health/tests-for-glucose-sugar-and-hba1c
Whitmore, C. 2010. Type 2 diabetes and obesity in adults. British Journal of Nursing 19(14), 880-886.
World Health Organization. 1998. Obesity. Preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation on obesity. WHO/NUT/NCD/981, WHO, Geneva. 1998.
Word count: 1201
Wyness, L. (2009). Understanding the role of diet in type 2 diabetes prevention. British Journal of Community Nursing, 14(9), 374.
Obesity remains an extremely serious issue worldwide. Once considered a problem for wealthier counties, overweight and obesity are now dramatically increasing in low and middle income countries (WHO, 2011). In American, the rates of obesity continue to soar. CDC (2009) recognizes obesity as a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other health problems. According to NHANES over two-thirds of the US are overweight or obese, and over one-third are obese (CDC, 2009). Treatment for this illness varies; it may include the incorporation of diet, exercise, behavior modification, medication, and surgery. Since there is no single cause of all overweight and obesity, there is no single way to prevent or treat overweight and obesity that will help everyone (CDC, 2009).
National Institute of Clinical Health and Excellence. (2006) Obesity: The prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children [online]. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG43 [Accessed on 19/03/2011].
Obesity has affected the world in many ways: task forces have been formed to address the issue, people are suffering from health problems due to obesity, and others suffer from psychological and social issues. Nearly two-thirds of the United States population is overweight. There are several ways to determine if a person is obese or overweight. Experts say that a person’s body mass index is the best way to determine an adult’s weight in relation to their height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 is considered normal, adults with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 are considered overweight.
...r height in metres, a healthy BMI for an adult is 18.5 to 25 and if you are classed as obese, your BMI is 30 or more. (Astrup 2009)
Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. Diabetes falls into two main categories: type 1, or juvenile diabetes, which usually occurs during childhood or adolescence, and type 2, or adult-onset diabetes, the most common form of the disease, usually occurring after age 40. Type 1 results from the body’s immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The onset of juvenile diabetes is much higher in the winter than in the summer. This association has been repeatedly confirmed in diabetes research. Type 2 is characterized by “insulin resistance,” or an inability of the cells to use insulin, sometimes accompanied by a deficiency in insulin production. There is also sometimes a third type of diabetes considered. It is gestational diabetes, which occurs when the body is not able to properly use insulin during pregnancy. Type 2 diabetes encompasses nine out of 10 diabetic cases. Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States, and it has no cure. The total annual economic cost of diabetes in 2002 was estimated to be $132 billion, or one out of every 10 health care dollars spent in the United States. Diabetes risk factors can fall into three major categories: family history, obesity, and impaired glucose tolerance. Minority groups and elderly are at the greatest risk of developing diabetes.
Obesity has been identified as one of the risk factors affecting directly and indirectly the health outcome of the population. Even though many approaches and programs have been conducted in order to reduce the obesity rate, this health issue is still a big headache and keeps being put on the table. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overweight and obesity rate have been increasing significantly in the past two decades in the United States with more than 35.7% of adults and almost 17% of children and adolescents from 2-19 years olds being obese ("Overweight and obesity," 2013). As Healthy People 2020 indicated, in the period from 1988-1994 to 2009-2010, the age adjusted obesity rate among U.S adults aged 20 and over increased from 22.8% to 35.7%, which means increased by 57% while the obesity rate among children and teenagers from 2 to 19 years old increased from 10% to approximately 17%, witnessing the increase of 69% ("Nutrition, physical activity," 2013). Obesity has impact both on economic and health of the nation. Obesity is the risk factor of serious chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, certain kinds of cancer, and other leading causes of preventable deaths ("Overweight and obesity," 2013). Moreover, obesity continues to be economic burden in terms of medical costs for either public or private payers up to $147 billion per year which increased from 6.5% to 9.1% (Finkelstein et al, 2009). In 2008, medical spending per capita for the obese or obesity related health issues is $1,429 per year, as 42% higher than “those of normal weight” (Finkelstein et al, 2009, p.8).
There is no doubt that obesity has taken its seat as one of the top disease that strikes the world today. In America, obesity has now spread through the country leaving 2 out of 3 adults either overweight or obese, and worldwide 1.5 billion are overweight or obese (Overweight). The cause of this disease stems from multiple reasons such as the increase in modern food production, putting out ample amounts of food causing the prices for meat, groceries, and especially junk food to plummet. Subsequently, Americans especially were more inclined to purchase more food and showed an increase in the average American house hold food intake by 1,000 more calories a day (Dreifus).
Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & Curtin, L. R. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among U.S. adults, 1999-2008. Journal of Medical Association. 303, 235-241.
Obesity in the United States continues growing alarmingly. Approximately 66 % of adults and 33 % of children and teenagers in the US are overweight. Obesity is the result of fat accumulated over time due to the lack of a balanced diet and exercise. An adult with a BMI (body mass index) higher than thirty percent is considered obese (Whitney & Rolfes, 2011, pg. 271).
Magliano, DJ, Shaw, JE, Shortreed, SM, Nusselder, WJ, Liew, D, Barr, EL, Zimmet, PZ & Peeters, A 2008, ‘Lifetime risk and projected population prevalence of diabetes’, Diabetologia, vol.51, pp.2179-2186, viewed 15th May 2011.
The official definition of obesity, is having a BMI of greater than 29.9. (Obesity and overweight). For example for a 5’10” male, a weight of 160lbs would yield a BMI of 23.0. Perfectly within the BMI range of healthy weight, 18.5- 24.9. But if that 5’10” male weighed say 230lbs, they would have a BMI of 33.0, and would be considered Obese.
First of all, “obesity is considered a problem since the high quantity of fat in the human body can lead to several health problems, compromising the proper functioning of important organs” (Graham & Wong, 2014, para.3). Graham & Wong, 2014, discuss that “the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers individuals with a BMI of 30 or greater to be obese”. Second, obesity in Canada has become epidemic. Recently, the number of obese people is growing so fast in children and adults (Graham & Wong, 2014, para.11). Graham and Wong, 2014, states that more than half of the Canadian population is considered obese and “levels of childhood obesity are expected to lead to the first decrease in life expectancy in over 200 years”. Finally, obese people could be affected by some diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, reproductive disorders and others (Graham & Wong, 2014, para.3). As Renneboog, 2014, demonstrates “physically, excessive body fat puts mechanical stress on the body, which leads to conditions including sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and hypertension”. Accordingly to Hussain, Hydrie, Claussen & Ashgar, 2010, the obesity and diabetes type 2 are strongly related since obesity affects the body fuel metabolism, making people get sick. As Eckel et al, 2011, argue, obesity can cause diabetes more effectively depending on where
Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).
Obesity occurs in all countries and it is one of the gravest problems in modern society. Obesity problems have become one matter of concern for individuals all around the world. What is more is that Obesity rates continue to rise all around the world. One of the chief causes is unhealthy diets. Obesity is also due to lack of exercise and lack of education and awareness. Therefore obesity has various effects including the risk of suffering from a range of health conditions, increased expenditure on health care and lack of self-esteem.