Watch your waistline

Obesity and diabetes are linked

According to a July 2014 paper from Public Health England,  obese adults are five times more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes than those of a healthy weight. 

The health impact of contracting Type 2 Diabetes is quite considerable with an increased risk of chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease, blindness, amputation, kidney disease and depression.

Diabetes has also been shown to be a major cause of premature mortality with around 23,000 additional deaths in England during  2010-11.

A quick check as to whether your current weight is putting you at greater risk can be assessed by looking at your waist measurements.  This is because a large waist circumference is is associated with an increased likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Men with a waist circumference of greater than 102 cm are five times more likely to have doctor-diagnosed diabetes and women with a waist circumference of more than 88cm are three times more likely.

And I hate to tell you this but most people believe their waist to be least 3 inches less than they actually are - sorry!