Obesity & Diabetes

Obesity & Diabetes

What is obesity?

Obesity is a term used to describe a person who is very overweight and carrying a lot of excess body fat.  It is generally, but not exclusively, caused by consuming more calories than you expend, with the excess energy then being stored as fat.  Obesity can also be caused by underlying health conditions such as an underactive thyroid gland, insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome & Prader-Willi syndrome.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin effectively and is therefore unable to control sugar levels in the blood.

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Type 1 diabetesis a condition that certain people are born with, or it develops in early childhood.  It arises when the body’s immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin.  As a result the body is not able to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugars at a safe level.  People who have type 1 diabetes depend on insulin injections.

Type 2 diabetesis a condition where the body cannot produce enough insulin or the insulin that is produced does not deliver the desired effect.  Type 2 diabetes can be significantly altered by diet and lifestyle choices.

How exercise can help with obesity

• It can help with the loss of excess body fat and, as a result, it can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes and alleviate pressure on the joints
• It can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
• It can improve self-confidence
• It can decrease the risk of some cancers, such as bowel and breast cancer
• It can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels

How exercise can help with diabetes

• It can help with loss of excess body fat. A large proportion of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese
• It can significantly improve the control of blood glucose levels
• It can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease
• It can help people lead a healthier, more positive lifestyle

Why Specialise in Obesity & Diabetes

I have witnessed first-hand the struggles of close family members trying to lose excess body weight.  My mother has always been extremely conscious of her weight and, despite trying most diets on the market, she has never been successful in maintaining a healthy weight for any length of time.  She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes over 2 years ago.  My sister and I are of a similar age and pre-puberty we were similar in size. Upon reaching puberty my sister gained a lot of weight quickly, even though we had the same diet.  Our formative years were the 1980’s, the era of low-fat diets abundant in sugars and starchy carbohydrates but, try as she might, my sister was unable to lose weight. Unbeknown to her at the time, she was insulin resistant.  In a nutshell all the foods the popular diets were telling her to eat she should have been avoiding.

As a Personal Trainer my primary aim is to help people improve their health.  Having spent over 40 years watching people close to me struggling with their weight, both physically and psychologically, I decided to further my training by qualifying as a specialist trainer in Physical Activity and Weight Management, for Obese and Diabetic clients.  This has given me the opportunity to help others dealing with similar issues, to those suffered by my own family.