Insulin and the Weight Gain Factor. What Comes First?

Obesity, insulin levels and the development of diabetes have long been interconnected in the same way that chickens and eggs are. There’s been a similar argument about the first two, does obesity cause high levels of insulin or, in fact, do high levels of insulin actually increase the likelihood of becoming obese? Knowing the answer to this question could help scientists and medical professionals to predict a persons predisposition towards becoming obese, meaning preventative measures could be taken far earlier which would hopefully mean less people would become overweight. Less people overweight would mean less sufferers of the plethora of health conditions which come along with being obese and this can only be a good thing!

In a study which involved lab mice it’s become apparent that insulin can actually increase a persons susceptibility to weight gain. Those with lower levels of insulin in their blood can gorge on fatty all you can eat buffets and not gain as much weight as those who do the same with higher levels of insulin in their blood. This is the first time this link has been shown via scientific study and could lead to certain advances in diabetic treatment and understanding obesity and people predilection to it.

What’s interesting is that this finding has actually explained why those type one diabetics who’ve been taking insulin for long periods of time gained weight. Weight gain in diabetics can cause all sorts of dangerous complications and as such it’s something which they’ll try to avoid with lifestyle and exercise changes. Now doctors will hopefully be able to better regulate the levels of insulin which they give to patients, making sure not to over prescribe them so as to keep weight gain to a minimal if not non-existent level.

This is not  a reason to stop taking insulin if you’ve been given in by your doctor, it’s just one more reason to watch that weight if you’re diabetic!