Study Says Most Diabetics Are Obese

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer January 21, 2004

Most diabetics obese, don't meet health recommendations, study finds

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CHICAGO - More than half of adult diabetics in the United States are obese and many more have higher-than-recommended blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar - all factors that raise their risk of complications and death, a government study found.

"The message needs to get out that doctors and patients need to do more," said lead author Catherine Cowie, a researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

In diabetes, the body fails to produce or make adequate use of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Many cases can be controlled with medication, diet and exercise, and patients must be meticulous about monitoring their blood sugar levels.

Poorly controlled diabetes is a major cause of heart problems, kidney failure, blindness and circulatory problems that lead to amputations. About 65 percent of adult diabetics will die of a heart attack or stroke.

Overall, only about 7 percent of adults with diabetes studied had attained the recommended levels for blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, the study of health surveys from 1999-2000 and 1988-94 found. The surveys involved a total of about 1,700 participants.

The researchers found a glimmer of hope - significant improvement among diabetics in controlling cholesterol. Still, almost 52 percent of the diabetics in the 2000 survey had cholesterol levels at or above the recommended reading of 200, compared with 66 percent in the earlier survey.

And the percentage of participants who were obese jumped from about 42 percent to about 55 percent.

The study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

Some 13 million American adults and children have diabetes - double the number in 1990 - and about 5 million others probably have undiagnosed cases, according to government data.

Most adults with the disease have type 2 diabetes, which is strongly linked to poor diet, inactivity and being overweight. An increasing number of children are developing this type, too.

Duh!!! I wonder why, lol!!!

Overall, only about 7 percent of adults with diabetes studied had attained the recommended levels for blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, the study of health surveys from 1999-2000 and 1988-94 found. The surveys involved a total of about 1,700 participants.

Perhaps the other 93% are following the diet advice of diabetes UK and the other diabetes carb pushers

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Back when diabetics were not allowed to have sugar there were way less complications than there are now. Everyone knows the complications can be avoided by controlling your blood sugar. So how are we telling people to control it? By eating enough sugar, starch, etc to cover your meds!

I've had several diabetics (including my sister and niece) tell me they were cautioned to not let their carb intake go too low or they could have problems from the meds. Well why not cut the med dose rather than increase the carbs?!?!?!?!?!?

My question exactly! But you know if they did that, it wouldn't benefit the pharmaceutical companies and their profits would fall sharply. Sorry if that sounds cynical, but I'm coming to believe that it's the truth of the matter. It just disgusts me no end to hear of doctors telling their patients to "eat more carbs" and oh, by the way, here's a prescription for a higher dose or your diabetes medicine and a couple of new ones as well because now your blood pressure and cholesterol are too high....

My fiance Mandy had juvenile diabetes AND epilepsy. She died in 1986 from complications at age 25.

I cooked for us while we were together, and I followed the "carbs are good" advice.

Let's just say that, every day since then, my bitterness and anger at the lies I was told rip me to pieces.