Eating Disorders Blog

Medical experts have known for some time that obesity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes; however, a new study may have identified the specific link between the two conditions.

Scientists from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have identified a protein released by fat cells that desensitizes the liver and muscles to insulin. In large amounts, the protein, called PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor), forces the pancreas to produce insulin to help neutralize the desensitization. Eventually, the overworked pancreas begins to slow down significantly or even stop producing insulin altogether. When this happens, the individual develops type 2 diabetes.

People who are obese have significantly more fat cells than people of average weight and so produce a much larger amount of PEDF. This increased PEDF production is what eventually leads to type 2 diabetes. Researchers hope that the discovery of a chemical link between obesity and type 2 diabetes will aid experts in developing treatments for type 2 diabetes.

(Source: diabeteshealth.com)

Labels: obesity, type 2 diabetes, diabetes

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Type I diabetes is the kind that develops in childhood. Young people with the disease must inject themselves with insulin every day, and they must monitor their blood sugar levels, because their bodies produce little or no insulin.

Some children with Type I diabetes skip their insulin injections as a means of weight control, once they figure out that insulin encourages their bodies to store fat. This behavior is sometimes referred to as "diabulimia."

Diabulimia is most common among diabetic girls and young women. It is dangerous because insufficient insulin causes higher blood sugar levels than are healthy. This in turn leads to a breakdown of muscle tissue, and damage to the kidneys and eyes.

Physicians do not recognize diabulimia as a formal medical condition in the same way they identify eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. However, the behavior is becoming more prevalent, and parents of diabetic children should be aware of the problem .
 

Labels: diabetes, diabulimia

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