Although there is much that scientists do not understand about this disease, it is clear that weight and physical activity play a role. The more fatty tissue that a person has, the more resistant his or her body’s cells will be to insulin. Being sed- entary is also a risk factor.
Physical activity not only controls weight but also helps to burn glucose and is believed to help the body be more sensitive to insulin.To understand best how obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked, it is important to understand how glucose works in the body. Glucose is the source of energy for the body’s cells and comes primarily from food. After eating, insulin, which is a hormone, is released from the pancreas into the blood- stream. Insulin is like a gatekeeper for the sugar to get into the cells. Without insulin, the bloodstream could be full of sugar but a person’s cells could not access it and he or she would feel lethargic. In a properly working pancreas, insulin levels decrease in response to a drop in blood sugar levels. When the blood sugar dips too low, perhaps because too much time has elapsed since the last meal, the liver releases stored glucose to keep glucose levels at the appropriate range. For people with type 2 diabetes, this careful balancing act does not work prop- erly, resulting in a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream or a potentially fatal situation if the blood glucose falls too low.
Physical activity not only controls weight but also helps to burn glucose and is believed to help the body be more sensitive to insulin.To understand best how obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked, it is important to understand how glucose works in the body. Glucose is the source of energy for the body’s cells and comes primarily from food. After eating, insulin, which is a hormone, is released from the pancreas into the blood- stream. Insulin is like a gatekeeper for the sugar to get into the cells. Without insulin, the bloodstream could be full of sugar but a person’s cells could not access it and he or she would feel lethargic. In a properly working pancreas, insulin levels decrease in response to a drop in blood sugar levels. When the blood sugar dips too low, perhaps because too much time has elapsed since the last meal, the liver releases stored glucose to keep glucose levels at the appropriate range. For people with type 2 diabetes, this careful balancing act does not work prop- erly, resulting in a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream or a potentially fatal situation if the blood glucose falls too low.
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