Does obesity cause diabetes?
This post is a bit off the beaten track for STACLU but”obesity” has become such a huge political excuse for Fascistic interference in people’s private lives –particularly in the schools — that I think the more we know about the hollowness of most of the claims involved, the better
That obesity causes diabetes is almost a mantra. I think I see it claimed or implied at least once a day. So I decided to look at the evidence behind the claim. I looked at what appear to be the two most cited articles on the question — by Seidell and by Mokdad et al..
Neither article goes any where near proving the claim. Seidell, in fact, notes the differing relationship between weight and diabetes in Asia versus the West and makes the entirely sensible observation that the two things are “common consequences of changing lifestyles” — NOT directly linked, in other words. Both, for instance, could be a consequence of (say) reduced exercise.
And the Mokdad article is quite naive. It shows that fatties are more likely to have diabetes but again enables no causal inferences. Additionally, it does not allow for the curvilearity that is known to feature in relationships with obesity. In other words, it combines moderately overweight people with grossly overweight people — which fies in the face of the fact that it is people of middling weight who live longest. It could be just the real fatties who tend to get diabetes at an accelerated rate.
And genetic effects are, of course, not mentioned anywhere, despite all we know (and have known for a long time) about the genetic influence on body weight. It could be that a genetic difference causes both diabetes AND a larger fat mass. So even severe dieting would not chase that pesky diabetes-causing gene away.
The fact that prevalence of diabetes has been increasing would seem at first to discount a genetic influence but it does not, of course. Many genetic influences need environmental “triggers” to become dominant and we just don’t know what environmental triggers might have come to the fore in recent years. How about increased crime causing both stress and overeating as a response to stress? Who knows?
As far as I can see, then, the alleged effect of fat on diabetes is just a guess. Ho hum! Just another instance of crap medical “wisdom”.
I wonder do pigs get diabetes? Fat pigs are a byword. And pigs are a pretty good animal model for human beings. Pig tissue is even used for direct implantation into human hearts! Rodent models always have dubious generalizability but I think I would believe a double-blind study with pigs.
So, you see, I am not like those (such as the Global Warmists) for whom no evidence will count. I have just specified precisely what evidence would convince me. And nor would the evidence concerned be hard to gather. You might even get some good bacon at the end of it! Yum!
Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. Also, don’t forget your handy-dandy summary of Obama news at OBAMOLOGY
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Posted by JonJayRay on March 3, 2008 8:30 am
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11 Responses to “Does obesity cause diabetes?”
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There is a reason why obesity is linked to diabetes. There comes a point when the body weight is more than the pancreas can produce enough insulin to handle the extra weight. Type 2 Diabetes (used to be called late on-set and usually occurred after 35) is related to weight. There are now teenagers being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes based on their body weight. Type 1 Diabetics (like me are typically called “juvenile diabetics” because we are insuln dependent and we develop diabetest prior to the age of 35) suffer from the genetic issue and are more likely to be subject to the environmental triggers.
No, pigs don’t get diabetes. The don’t live long enough. They become bacon and then contribute to our diabetes.
Peter, saying “There comes a point when the body weight is more than the pancreas can produce enough insulin to handle the extra weight” is incorrect because type II diabetics do have plenty of insulin circulating around their body. In fact, the excess insulin actually encourages calories to be stored as fat. The insulin does not, however, function properly and lower blood sugar. That is why type II diabetics have both high blood sugar and high levels of circulating insulin. A really interesting read about this topic is Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taub.
Well JonJay -
As a diabetic, it’s always nice to get a good opinion piece from someone without diabetes telling us how things are – Lord knows, we aren’t invested in the disease enough to figure it out for ourselves.
Of course, the fact that my diabetic symptoms decreased dramatically as I lost weight will have no effect on your well thought out arguments; mainly because I am pushing no particular political agenda and therefore not of great interest to your medical theories.
If you are looking for some environmental ‘triggers’ though, look at the research between the use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and the increase of diabetes. Also look at the increase in high glycemic level foods and the increase of diabetes. Maybe you’ll learn something about the topic you think you know so well. In the meantime, stick to political blather; your opinion on diabetes isn’t worth the pixels its composed of.
Wow. Apparently Dr. Johnnie hasn’t got a clue what he’s talking about. Have you ever started babbling in incoherent sentences as your body shakes violently simply because you’ve been working hard with no lunch? I have to eat EVERY meal, hungry or not. When I exercise, I have to eat more. It’s not easy to maintain my weight.
“As far as I can see, then, the alleged effect of fat on diabetes is just a guess. Ho hum! Just another instance of crap medical “wisdomâ€.”
Just, wow.
“How about increased crime causing both stress and overeating as a response to stress?”
That’s it people! The liberals and illegals are giving us diabetes!
Yeah, Natalie, it’s what I was getting at about an utterly uninformed individual spouting off nonsense to make some weird political point. As if we diabetics don’t have to deal with enough ignorance from the public – the other night, I was offered a cinnamon roll and, after politely turning it down was asked why? I said because as a diabetic, it was bad for me. They then informed me: ‘well, we have unglazed too.” Sigh….the world is just brimming with ignorant “experts” like Dr Johnnie…
Chicken or the egg ?
This is a great post. Obesity is indeed a very alarming issue. Children as early as 6 years old are even diagnosed. I just hope government and health workers are effective in providing health education to families. Slimming pills must be avoided and exercise and diet must be maintained and controlled.
I am not a Doctor or something, but Diabetes is more on a genetic factor.
Obesity and diabetes is a growing problems nowadays. It is caused by todays lifestyle which does not involve lots amount of exercise. Most people are just happy sitting in their office chair and they do not even want to sweat.
Obesity and diabetes are becoming more and more of a problem these days. Actually it is easy to avoid being overweight by just having the proper diet and exercise.