Lose weight and Control Type 2 Diabetes

A new study published in Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association has revealed that patents with type 2 diabetes that shed off excess weight immediately after their diagnosis are in a better position to control their disease compared to those who don't lose weight or who instead gain more weight.

The study showed that those who lose weight are up to twice more likely to have better control of their disease than those who don't lose weight or who gain weight.

The study also reveals that the benefit is maintained even though the patient regains his/her weight. According to Dr. Gregory A. Nichols, who is a co-author of the study, "People who lost weight were more likely to attain their blood sugar and blood pressure goals than people who gained weight or maintained a stable weight." Dr. Gregory A. Nichols is also an investigator for Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon.

Whereas the research team said that they were not surprised by the findings, they expressed astonishment with the finding that the benefits remained even if the weight was regained.

The research was carried amongst 2,500 adults, all members of the large Kaiser Permanente HMO, who were all diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This was between the year 1997 and 2002.The researchers then tracked medical records of weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

According to Nichols, they looked at the weight loss of the patients over three years and studied the blood sugar and blood pressure readings in the fourth year.

According to the research findings, most patients stayed at about the same weight during the study. 76% were at a stable weight for four years compared to while about 12% who gained weight over the same period.

The research also revealed that 12% lost on average 23 pounds at the 18-month mark. However, after 36 months, they had gained nearly all the lost weight back.

The research findings concluded that those who lost and regained weight were still more likely to meet their goals for blood sugar levels and blood pressure.