Type 2 diabetes is a life-limiting illness provoked by excess body weight, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits. The condition is defined by a fasting blood glucose of 7 mmol/L or more meaning there is too much sugar in the bloodstream (1). Living with diabetes is straining on the individual, their family, and health care providers – but something can be done. Countless diabetics have transformed their lives by following very low-calorie diets, losing weight, and as a result, reversed their type 2 diabetes*!
Risk Factors
90% of people with diabetes have type 2 meaning their body uses insulin inadequately. You are more at risk of developing this type of diabetes if you:
- are overweight
- carry extra weight around your stomach
- have high blood pressure
- have immediate family members with type 2 diabetes e.g. a parent or sibling
- are white and over 40 years old or African-Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian and over 25 years old.
You can calculate your risk on the Diabetes UK website (2).
Diagnosis
People with diabetes often suffer from discomforting symptoms, however, 6 in 10 people have no symptoms at diagnosis! (3) It is really important to look out for the signs and symptoms of diabetes and not ignore them – especially if you have a higher risk of developing the disease.
Typical signs & symptoms include:
- thirst
- tiredness
- frequent toilet use
- genital itching
- injuries not healing quickly
- blurred vision
- unusual weight loss (4)
Prevention
You can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by living a healthy lifestyle, in particular,
- maintaining a healthy body weight
- regularly exercising e.g. half an hour of moderate-intensity every day
- eating healthily
- stopping smoking (1)
Need to obtain a healthy body weight and improve your eating habits? Substituting two daily meals of an energy restricted diet with meal replacements contributes to weight loss. If you are classified as obese or overweight, our exante diet plans could help you get down to a healthy weight safely and effectively. Not only can you obtain a healthy weight using exante meal plans, you’ll also be eating healthily due to our products containing all the necessary nutrients!