I am just a bit concerned about my mum – she is 49 and she is obese (bmi 31), but otherwise healthy – she gets loads of exercise and doesn't smoke or drink – but she does eat a lot!
Anyway, she just told me that she keeps getting letters from the doctor asking her to come in for a health check re diabetes and she hasn't done it yet – she is a knowledgable woman and she says she has not got any symptoms.
Is she being really stupid?
Suggestion:
It is almost 100% — almost all Type 2 Diabetics became that way from being overweight — sometimes by as little as 10 pounds!
Being overweight does NOT guarantee that you will be diabetic, though. You ALSO need the "genetics" that goes along with it. There are a many people who are "morbidly obese" (more than 100 pounds overweight) who do NOT have diabetes.
But you Mom's thinking if incorrect. Diabetes is a "silent killer". it HAS NO SYMPTOMS until it is well-developed. if you WAIT until you show symptoms, you already have damaged your body — possibly irreparably. Recent surveys have shown that, of people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, they had the disease for 3-5 YEARS before they got diagnosed. it take at least 6 months before symptoms start to show, and MANY patients take longer. Thus, the diabetes does SEVERE damage to brains, nerves, heart, and lungs LONG before the patient feels sick enough to go to a doctor.
Since your mother is obese, she MUST see her doctor NOW, and hope that the disease hasn't already started
You must log in to post a comment.