Weight Gain and High Blood Sugar

by Nutrition Focus

A new study finds that children who are initially thin but who later become overweight are more likely to have elevated blood glucose levels as young adults, which is often a signal that type 2 diabetes will develop.

From over 7,000 participants in a study completed in 1973, almost 1,500 were assessed for this analysis, which was done in India. None of the subjects was obese during childhood. Over 15 percent had abnormal glucose levels and 4 percent had diabetes at the age of 30 years. The study was published in the February 26, 2004 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/350/9/865

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

No matter what the weight gain, those who were classed as overweight and had higher waist:hip ratios were much more likely to have either impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. The waist:hip ratio is an indicator of fat around the middle.

This is one of numerous studies showing that excess weight gain and body fat increase the risk of metabolic impairment.

Copyright 2004 - Nutrition News Focus

Tags: diabetes weight-gain