Diabetic Weight Loss

Losing Weight in Diabetes CareLosing Weight - People, who are overweight and have diabetes, should lose weight to achieve and maintain their ideal weight

    An estimated 80 - 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.  How do you know if you are overweight?  One of the ways to check if you are overweight is by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI).  BMI is a simple index of weight-to-height ratio.  Your ideal weight is to keep your BMI value between 20 and 25.  When your BMI value is more than 25, you are more prone to develop weight-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.  The risk of getting these diseases increases tremendously when your BMI value is over 30.

    Calculating your own BMI is very simple.  Below is the formulation on how you can calculate your BMI:

BODY MASS INDEX

 

Body Mass Index, BMI = Weight (kg) ÷ [Height (m) x Height (m)]

  = Weight ÷ (Height)2

Example :

If your weight is 100 kg and your height is 1.85 m,

Your BMI = 88 ÷ (1.85 x 1.85)

              = 88 ÷ 3.4225

              = 25.71

 

To determine your ideal weight, you can simply input the values as such:

Let's say your height is 1.85 m and you want to achieve a BMI of 22.5,

22.5 = Your ideal weight ÷ (1.85 x 1.85)

       = Your ideal weight ÷ 3.4225

Your ideal weight = 22.5 x 3.4225

                         = 77 kg

 

    The Body Mass Index, BMI is considered the gold standard for identifying if you should lose some weight.  You are strongly encouraged to lose weight if you fall into any of these categories:

  • Obese (Your BMI value is over 30).
     

  • Overweight (Your BMI is between 25 and 29.9) and you have any two or more of the following risk factors:

    • High blood glucose level

    • High blood pressure

    • High LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

    • High triglycerides

    • Low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)

    • Low physical activity

    • Family history of heart disease or stroke

    • Smoking

    If you are overweight and have diabetes, you will benefit from losing weight in several ways.  You will be able to control your diabetes better through improved blood glucose level.  You will feel healthier and fitter with improved flexibility to do a wider range of activities.  Weight loss also decreases your risk of getting heart disease and stroke through lowered blood pressure, lowered LDL cholesterol, lowered triglycerides, and increased HDL cholesterol. 

    You can lose weight by adopting a healthier way of eating and increasing your physical activities.  Consult your doctor on how you can do this.  It is also important to talk to a Registered Dietitian because she can help you to determine your daily calorie needs based on your age, body size, and physical activity level.  Besides that, your dietitian can help you to work out a suitable diet and diet plan.  The goal is to achieve and maintain your ideal weight or near your ideal weight.

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