Diabetes & Obesity—Diabesity: A Genetic Curse or an Eating Hazard—How to Unmake the Mistake

By Ahdy Helmy

Diabesity is a growing nightmare. This book provides tips to balance the scale, and to help readers navigate their way out of this metabolic mess. It answers when, how, and what to eat. When, how, and for how long to exercise. It empowers readers to recognize the bodys worst metabolic enemy. That is visceral adiposity, or simply put fat deposition in the midsection.

For healthy non-diabetics, it is a call to action to avoid turning to a pre-diabetic, and to prevent those with pre-diabetes from progressing to diabetes.

For Diabetics, it presents the ambitious hope to reverse diabetes, or to slow its progression and prevent its devastating complications ranging from cardiovascular death to living blind, on dialysis or with an amputated limb.

It highlights in a storytelling mode the body intricate design to handle its metabolic demands. It then illustrates the linkage between the visceral fat deposition, and the body developing resistance to its own insulin. Insulin resistance is what leads eventually to the high blood pressure, the elevated blood glucose and abnormalities in the circulating lipids, namely cholesterol and similar particles, and even gout.

This is a tool in the hand of every one who wishes a healthier life, free from threats of Diabetes, obesity and their setbacks. It is the next right step after mere wishing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512780758

Ahdy Helmy

Dr. Helmy is an associate Professor of medicine at Indiana University. He is a triple board certified, internist, endocrinologist, and lipidologist, and an expert in his field. He is described by his colleagues and trainees as a consummate clinician and an exceptional educator of clinicians. He combines his clinical skills, and teacher talents, to present the latest scientific research. He is awarded multiple teaching awards, from Indiana University President award to the ACP laureate award, and many others.

Book preview

Diabetes & Obesity

—Diabesity

A Genetic Curse or an Eating Hazard

—How to Unmake the Mistake

Ahdy Helmy, MD, FACP

associate professor of medicine,

endocrinology, and metabolism

Indiana University

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Copyright © 2017 Ahdy Helmy, MD, FACP.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Author photo © Trustees of Indiana University.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8074-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8075-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017904486

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/15/2017

Contents

Acknowledgments

Knowledge is Power

Introduction: Why Bother

Chapter 1 Diabetes, the Silent Intruder

Chapter 2 The Gatekeeper

Chapter 3 Physiology, the Way It Was Meant to Be

Chapter 4 More Sound Physiology

Chapter 5 Behind the Scenes

Chapter 6 Deviation from the Norm

Chapter 7 What If?

Chapter 8 Metabolic Syndrome

Chapter 9 Disarming the Metabolic Bomb

Chapter 10 What if the Most Feared Thing Happens?

Chapter 11 Medications we use for treating Diabetes

Conclusion

Notes

Acknowledgments

F irst and foremost, I want to thank God almighty, the inventor and creator of this amazing machine, the human body, the fine tuning of which never ceases to amaze me. Its intricate structure and physiological accuracy cries out loudly in praise of the maker, emphatically stating, I am not an accident, nor a product of million coincidences.

I pray He will grant me wisdom over intelligence and prudence in place of pride.

I then want to thank my gorgeous wife, Therese, for her love, support, and friendship. She is the love of my life and heaven’s gift to me.

Next, I want to thank my two beautiful daughters, Sarah and Natalie, for their love and precious friendship.

Lastly, I want to dedicate this book to the memory of my dad, who lost his life in the battle with diabesity.

Knowledge is Power

T his book is written to all people in all roles: parents, singles, adults, and adolescents.

My purpose is to equip them with knowledge delivered in a simple, yet meaningful way. My intent is to help them be of help to themselves, as well as to their loved ones. Their informed assistance will be of great help to us, the health care providers as we face Goliath, the giant that is diabesity. A giant if left unchallenged is likely to swallow generations to come.

Introduction: Why Bother

W e, as a society and as a world, are increasingly experiencing an epidemic of obesity. Obesity brings a whole cascade of consequences in the form of major health hazards, the foremost of which is diabetes. Diabetes is a disease of all organs, from our brain to our toes. This metabolic disease, with all its complications, is a burden to our health, finances, and abilities to do, achieve, and enjoy the gift of health.

How does this metabolic monster come into existence? Obesity is part of its origin. I’ll merge the twin horns on the head of this hateful monster, diabetes and obesity, into one term and I’ll call it diabesity.

The reason to come up with this relatively new term is that many of the factors leading to one or the other are common to the establishing of both. They coexist together in many individuals.

Though obesity may be easy to recognize in its extreme forms, many diabetics do not know they have it yet.

But Why bother? This is a great question. The simple answer is that there are 4,650 new cases of diabetes every 24 hours in the United States alone. Yes, you read the numbers right. There are more than 190 newly diagnosed diabetics in the United States every hour. And many of these cases are children, adolescents, and young adults.

The longer they have it, the more the complications they will develop. Let me just mention one stunning complication. In the United States alone, 180 diabetics lose a part or the whole of their leg every day, directly because of diabetes. Six of every ten who lose one of their legs to the disease will lose their lives within the next five years.

If that doesn’t bother you, I do not know what will.

Chapter 1

Diabetes, the Silent Intruder

D iabetes, in its early stages of development, is asymptomatic. It sneaks up on us, uninvited, despite the fact that many of us may have some inner fears of diabetes, given our family